Dovahkiin Vahdin
by RamblingFox2501
Summary: Ti'ana is the Dragonborn, but she doesn't speak English and she is unfamiliar with Skyrim, so retired adventurer William has to help her fulfill her destiny.
1. Chapter 1:  Kendov ahrk Vahdin

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bethesda's **_**Skyrim**_**. The only things that I own are my original characters (OCs).**

**This fanfiction is rated T for violence and language.**

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><p>Chapter 1: Kendov ahrk Vahdin<p>

On a lone road from Cyrodil to Skyrim, a carriage was making its way to Helgen Keep. On the back of the carriage, five prisoners were seated. One was a man with a yellow beard, two were men with no defining characteristics, one was a man with a diagonal scar across his left eye, and one was a young woman with very light blonde hair.

On their way to their destination, the prisoners talked to each other, except for the bearded man, who was gagged, and the woman, who said nothing. One of the men, Ralof, was revealed to be a Stormcloak rebel and he revealed the bearded man to be the leader of his group, Ulfric Stormcloak. The two men were crossing the border of Skyrim when they were ambushed by the Imperial guard.

The other man, Lokir, revealed himself to be a horse thief who just happened to cross paths with the Stormcloaks and got caught in the Imperial ambush. Though he had nothing to do with the Stormcloaks, the thief was still considered to be part of the group. The man with the scar, William, revealed himself to be a retired Nord adventurer from Riverwood who was returning to his family from his trip to the Imperial City in Cyrodil. He was on the road home when he crossed paths with the Stormcloaks and the thief. The woman would not say anything, so the only thing the other prisoners knew about her was that she was a Breton who stumbled out of the forest nude when the Imperials ambushed everyone else.

Lokir looked at the woman, who was now clothed in peasant's rags, and asked her, "Aren't you going to talk?"

The woman turned to look at the man with her light green eyes, but said nothing. Ralof said to the thief, "Maybe she doesn't want to talk."

"I just want to know more about her." Lokir said. "I mean, it's not every day you see someone wander around Skyrim naked. She could be loony for all we know." He turned to the woman again and asked, "Were you high on skooma or something?"

The woman still said nothing. Annoyed with the thief, William spoke up, "Will you just leave her alone already?"

"Quiet back there!" The driver of the carriage yelled. "We're here."

The carriage entered a fort with several houses and a few stone towers. From these buildings, civilians stared at the prisoners on board, with many of them whispering amongst themselves. The carriage came to a halt, where several Imperial guards were waiting. A female guard said to the prisoners, "Get out and form a line."

The men stood up, moved out of the carriage, and formed a line. The woman slowly stood up and hid behind William. The female Imperial and another guard went through everyone's names one by one until they came to William.

"William Thornwall of Riverwood." William told the guards. "Please, I have nothing to do with the Stormcloaks. I have a wife and two daughters at home."

"And I'm supposed to believe that you just _happened_ to cross paths with Ulfric Stormcloak?" The male Imperial asked. "Sorry, but you're going to the block with the others."

William's eyes widened. He cried out, "No! You can't do this to me! What about my family?"

The Imperial shoved William next to the other prisoners. The female guard looked at the woman and asked, "Name?"

As usual, the woman stared, but didn't answer. The female guard raised her voice, "Breton, tell me your name!"

Still, the woman said nothing. The male guard grabbed her by the wrists and shoved her with the other prisoners. The woman cried out in pain and brought her bound wrists close to her chest. The guard said to himself, "Well, she's not mute."

"She was found near the Stormcloak camp, General Tullius." The female guard reported. "I recommend that you put her on the block as well."

"Might as well." The general said.

By now, a crowd of civilians was gathering. From one of the towers, two people walked out into the open. One was a woman who was dressed like a priestess. The other was a man wearing a black hood and wielding an executioner's axe. They both stood by a wooden block and a basket. The female guard looked at Ralof and told him, "You first."

Ralof looked at Ulfric and told him, "It has been a pleasure working for you, Jarl Ulfric."

He walked over to the wooden block and placed his head over it. The priestess began reading a prayer. Ten seconds in, however, General Tullius interrupted, "Let's get this over with already."

From far away, a distant roar could be heard. It was bestial, but no one knew what animal made that noise. Various people asked each other, "What was that?"

"Never mind that!" The general said loudly.

The executioner raised his axe over Ralof's head. Turning his head to look at Ulfric, he said, "On this day, I go to Sovngarde."

The executioner swung the axe downwards, cleaving Ralof's head off from his body. The head fell into the basket as blood squirted out of the neck. Members of the crowd cried out with joy for the executed Stormcloak. Ulfric and William turned their heads away and grimaced at the sound of squirting blood.

Horrified at what he had just seen, Lokir screamed, "No! I'm not going to die!" and ran towards Helgen's back gate. The female guard called out to all the nearby guards, "Archers!"

Many of them drew out bows and nocked arrows. They let their arrows fly, with all of them piercing the fleeing Lokir's back. The thief stumbled over his feet and dropped to the ground dead. The Breton woman turned her head to look at the fallen bodies of Ralof and Lokir and screamed. She tried to run as well, but General Tullius grabbed her wrists and pulled her back.

"You're next on the block." The general dragged the woman over to the wooden block.

The woman struggled against the general's grip and screamed, _"Nid! Nid! Dreh ni krii! Dreh ni krii!"_

Everyone stared at her. The female Imperial asked, "What is she saying?"

The roar came again, though it sounded closer than before. The crowd started talking amongst themselves again, either questioning what the woman was saying or wondering what that roar was. General Tullius pinned the woman to the block and told the executioner, "Silence her!"

_"Nid! Nid!" _The woman kept screaming.

Just as the executioner raised his axe, the roar came again and everyone could see something flying towards Helgen. Almost everyone present screamed when they saw that it was a black dragon with burning red eyes. The dragon perched on a nearby tower and stared down at the panicking crowd below.

"What is that?"

"By the gods, it's a dragon!"

"This can't be happening!"

The civilians and prisoners ran off in different directions while the guards tried to be brave and nock their bows with arrows. The dragon roared at the fleeing people and breathed a jet of fire at them. Buildings caught on fire and the people screamed even more.

In the panic, General Tullius released the woman and she ran to another tower for cover. Inside, she saw William and a cowering Imperial guard. The guard said very fast, "This can't be real! Dragons are supposed to be extinct! Why is there a dragon here?"

"Damn if I know!" William's nerves were also shot. "But we can't stay here!"

The guard peeked out of the doorway and quickly retreated back. He said, "It's still out there! Maybe there's a way up the tower!"

He was about to run up the spiral staircase when William shouted, "What about us? We're still bound!"

The cowardly guard ignored William and ran up. There was a booming crash from above and William and the woman could hear the guard scream. Silence came quickly, and William became worried. He cautiously moved up the staircase, with the woman following behind. He saw that there was a gaping hole in the wall, with no sign of the cowardly guard. As he was about to approach the hole, the black dragon suddenly poked his head through.

William screamed in surprise and he thought he was going to have a heart attack. The woman had a scared look on her face, but she did not scream like her fellow prisoner. The dragon eyed the woman and, barely moving its lips, said, _"Zu'u koraav, Dovahkiin!"_

_"Zu'u koraav, Kruziik Dovah Alduin." _The woman's voice quivered.

The black dragon inhaled deeply and shouted, _"__**Yol-Toor-Shul**__!"_ After shouting those words, it breathed a jet of fire at the two prisoners.

"Run!" William shouted.

Both he and the woman fled back down the tower, barely dodging the jet of fire. They looked back up the staircase and saw that the dragon withdrew its head. They could hear it roar, but it didn't sound close. William crouched and slowly made his way back up the stairs. He peeked out the hole and saw that the dragon had turned its attention to a squad of guards firing arrows at it. He looked down and saw a burning wooden building that he could jump down on. He turned to the woman and said, "This way!"

The woman stared at him and did nothing. He walked back down, grabbed her hands, and asked, "What are you waiting for? We have to move before the dragon sees us again!"

He gently tugged her hands and he started to walk backwards up the stairs. The woman got the idea and, after tearing her hands from William's grip, ran up the stairs and stood in front of the hole. They both stared down and William, working up the courage to jump, muttered to himself, "One, two, three!"

He jumped through the hole and made sure he landed feet first. However, the roof gave way underneath him and he fell through it, landing on the wooden floor below. He looked around and, seeing that he was surrounded by fire, figured that jumping down here wasn't the best idea after all. He looked at his bound wrists and knew that, if anything, he should find a way to free himself.

William heard a thud and he turned to see that the woman was beside him. She winced in pain and stood up on wobbly legs. She turned to William, who was still on the floor, and asked, _"Los hin kopraan ahraan?"_

"I don't know what you're saying," William stood up, "but we shouldn't stay here any longer."

Out of the corner of his eye, William spotted a handsaw on the floor. He sat in front of it and gripped the handle with his feet. He angled the saw upwards and held it steady as he moved his rope bonds back and forth across the blade. Eventually, the saw cut through them and William was free. He stood up again, picked up the saw, and walked up to the woman. He told her, "Hold your hands out." He lifted his hands up to show her.

The woman nodded and lifted her arms up. William grabbed her bonds and was careful to saw them off without accidentally hurting her. The ropes fell limp after they were cut and the woman brushed them off of her. With their bonds now cut, their escape will be slightly easier. After dropping the saw, William ran out of the open doorway and saw that the dragon was circling over the area. There were fewer guards present and those who remained were still trying to fire arrows at the black dragon.

William turned to the woman and told her, "Let's go!"

He moved slowly out of the burning building, hoping not to make too much movement and attract the dragon's attention. He looked around and saw that some of the retreating guards were going into a stone building. He looked to see if there was any other way out, but the gates leading out of Helgen were closed. He figured that the guards knew of some sort of secret escape route, so he decided that it would be best to follow them, even if they were the ones who tried to kill him.

William made his way towards the building, staying close to the nearby houses as he went. He stopped once to look behind him to make sure the woman was following him. To his relief, she was staying close behind him. When they were close to the stone building, William made a bolt for the door. He swung the door open and he motioned for the woman to follow him. She ran towards him and went through the door just as the dragon turned its head to look at them. William swore under his breath as he slammed the door shut. Through the walls, he could hear the dragon roar angrily.

He looked around and saw that there were no signs of the Imperial guards. There were two doorways, one leading to a closet and the other leading to a hallway. Sitting in a chair was a dead Imperial with several wounds across his chest. William wondered who killed this guy and why. He turned to the closet and saw a pile of equipment in it. He walked over to it and rummaged through it.

In that pile, he found his old armor, sword, bow, and arrows. William figured that this pile contained all the things that were taken from him and the other prisoners when they were captured. He found some fur armor and a sword and he tossed them in the woman's direction. He told her, "Put them on."

The woman slowly picked up a fur tunic from the floor and examined it closely. She brushed her fingers across the soft fur and she rubbed her face against it. She slipped it over the rags she wore and proceeded to don the boots, bracers, and helmet. She picked up the sword and slowly removed it from its sheath. She stared at the glistening blade with both awe and fear.

Losing patience, William walked up to the woman and took the sword and sheath from her. He sheathed the sword and strapped it around the woman's waist, saying, "We really need to get going." He took her hand and pulled her over to the other doorway. Getting the point, she pulled her hand out of his and followed him.

The duo came to a kitchen and William decided that now would be a good time to stock up on some food. He found a rucksack on a nearby table and he snatched it up. He then proceeded to snatch up as much meat, vegetables, and herbs as he could fit in it. Seeing what he was doing, the woman tried to help by picking up all the wooden dinnerware on the tables. She brought them to William and he stared at her, dumbfounded. He shook his head and said, "We don't need any of this."

Seeing the look of disapproval on his face, the woman lowered her head and she dropped the armful of dinnerware that she was carrying, which they landed with a loud clatter. William saw another door nearby and he walked through it, with the woman following behind him.

Several rooms later, they stumbled across several more corpses, some of them belonging to the Imperial guards and others belonging to the Stormcloaks. William wondered how so many Stormcloaks got here. He didn't remember any other Stormcloaks being taken prisoner, so he assumed that they were a rescue party that also got caught in the sudden dragon attack.

Being a retired adventurer, William knew that one of the basic things of surviving was to loot the dead. He searched each corpse and managed to get some gold, extra arrows, and even a few healing potions. He looked at the woman and saw that she was doing the same thing. She showed him a handful of gold and he nodded, saying, "Good work. It never hurts to have some extra gold."

The woman smiled at this and shoved the gold into William's hands. He was surprised at this kind gesture, and he smiled and thanked her for the gold. They left the room and they came across a stairway going down. They made their way down and they could hear a nearby commotion. William peeked through the doorway and he could see a fight in progress.

There were three Imperial soldiers fighting against five Stormcloaks in a cave-like area. William did not want to get involved in the fight, as he had no allegiance with either party. He knew that for a long time, the two factions have fought against each other in a bloody civil war. The Stormcloaks wanted to drive the elves out of Skyrim while the Imperials wanted Skyrim to be a place for everyone. As a Nord born in Skyrim, William was proud of his country, yet he wasn't a racist like the Stormcloaks. After just being captured by the Imperials under false charges, he had no love for them either.

He and the woman watched as the battle came to an end, with only two Stormcloaks surviving. They looted the bodies of both friend and foe before they moved deeper into the cave. William slowly moved out of hiding and decided that it would be best if they kept their distance from the Stormcloaks. He slowly moved further into the cave, followed by the woman.

As they went deeper into the cave, they saw mushrooms and moss growing in different spots. There were gaps in the ceiling that allowed sunlight to pour in, so they were able to navigate without the risk of stumbling around in the dark without a torch. They soon heard the sound of running water and they came across a small stream trickling down a slope.

Further in, the duo could see webbing on the walls and giant eggs on the floor. They could hear some nearby shouts and William figured that they belonged to the two Stormcloaks. He peeked around a corner and saw the two men fighting four large Frostbite Spiders. They took down two spiders, but the other two managed to jump on them and bite their heads off. William couldn't believe how easily these Stormcloaks were taken down by the spiders. Either these men were pathetic fighters or they were possibly weakened, either from the previous fight with the Imperials or from a venomous bite from one of those spiders.

William took out his bow and nocked an arrow. He carefully aimed for one spider's head and he let the arrow fly. The spider flinched from the attack and it and its companion turned to face the duo. They chittered and scurried over to the duo. William took out his sword and he charged at the spiders.

He focused his attacks on one spider until it dropped dead. He turned to the other one and saw that it was cornering the woman. She had her sword drawn out and she was swinging it wildly, with only a few of those hits actually hitting the spider. William ran up to the spider, jumped on it, and plunged his sword into its head. He climbed off the spider once he saw its legs curl up. He looked at the woman, who was now sheathing her sword, and realized that she could hardly defend herself. He folded his arms and said to her, "Maybe you weren't cut out to be a fighter."

The woman only stared back at him. William sighed and he spotted a narrow walkway which they could cross. After looting the Stormcloaks' bodies for more gold, the duo continued their trek.

They came to a wide open space in the cave. William froze as he spotted a sleeping bear lying in the middle of the cavern. He really did not want to fight that thing if he could help it. He turned to the woman and pointed at the bear. She nodded and she unsheathed her sword.

"No." William whispered to her and shook his head. He grabbed the woman's wrist and had her sheathe her sword. He pointed to the bear again and then put a finger over his lips, making a "shh"ing noise. The woman seemed to understand as she nodded again. William released his grip on her and he crouched down.

He slowly crept along the walls of the cavern, making sure not to cause any noise that would wake the bear up. The woman did the same thing, though she never took her eyes off of the large beast. Halfway there, the bear stirred and both man and woman froze in place. When it settled down again, they continued to sneak past it until they spotted an opening. A breeze blew in from the opening and William could see that it led outside. He looked at the bear one last time before he made a bolt for the outside.

When his feet hit the dirt path, William came to a halt. The woman ran up to his side and also stopped. William turned around and he could see the smoke that came from Helgen, but fortunately, there was no sign of the dragon. He let out a sigh of relief and said, "We made it."

William's first priority was to get back to Riverwood and his family, but what about the woman who followed him out of Helgen? He turned to her and asked, "Where are you from?"

The woman tilted her head as if she didn't understand what he was saying. William felt like slapping himself over the head for forgetting that this individual didn't speak English and understand what he is saying. The only time that the woman seemed to understand him was when he made gestures. Well, if he couldn't find out where this woman came from, then maybe he could at least get her name. He pointed to himself and said, "William."

_"Whil-lee-am?"_ The woman stressed each syllable of his name.

William nodded. He pointed to himself again and said, "William." He pointed at the woman in hopes that she would say her name.

She pointed to William and said, _"William." _She pointed to herself and said, _"Ti'ana."_

"Tay-ah-nah." William stressed each syllable, as the woman did with his name. He said, "Well, at least we know each other's names now." He thought about what he should do with Ti'ana and he suggested, "Why don't you come with me to Riverwood for now?"

Of course, Ti'ana didn't know what he was saying. He took a few steps forward and beckoned her to follow him. The woman nodded eagerly and ran after him. Little did William know that the sudden attack on Helgen was just the start of his greatest adventure.

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><p><strong>Yay! I finished the first chapter! Next time, William returns to Riverwood and he introduces Ti'ana to his family.<strong>

**It may seem like Ti'ana is a Victim Sue, but she'll be a better fighter later on.**

**Now, I'm wondering if I should put in translation notes for what Ti'ana and the dragons say. On the one hand, you (the readers) will know what they are saying, but on the other hand, it kind of takes away the mystery of what they are saying. So, should there be translation notes or not? Post a review and let me know.**


	2. Chapter 2:  Fahdon

**Disclaimer: I own my original characters, but not **_**Skyrim**_**.**

**Now, you may have noticed by now, but the relationship between William and Ti'ana isn't all that unique. I could say they are like Ico and Yorda from **_**Ico**_**, but I think they're more like Corbin Dallas and Leeloo from **_**The Fifth Element**_**, since Leeloo can kick butt and saved the world, yet she needed Corbin's help most of the time.**

**Before I go on, I'll go ahead and thank Prima Strategy Guides for their list of English to Dragon words. Without them, I would not be able to include Dragonspeech in this story.**

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><p>Chapter 2: Fahdon<p>

It was getting close to sunset, but William believed that they could make it to Riverwood before nightfall. He trotted down the road to his hometown, with Ti'ana following close behind. Once in a while, she would stray off the path to look at some plants or to chase a butterfly.

William was both amused and disturbed by this. Ti'ana looked like she was in her early twenties, yet she acted like a child or a puppy. He had to call her back a few times before she wandered off, and he began to think of the woman as a burden. Once he did bring her to Riverwood, what then? Was he supposed to babysit her until she found her home and family?

Finally, just as the sun was setting, they arrived at Riverwood. William was glad to be home. He passed by the blacksmith's, the general store, and the inn before he stopped in front of his house. He turned around to see if Ti'ana was with him, but she was not.

Fortunately, she did not wander too far off. He easily spotted her standing in front of a fence with the neighbor's milk cow in it. Both woman and bovine stared at each other, but did nothing. William called Ti'ana and she turned to face him with a sad look on her face. She murmured something to the cow before she joined William's side again. He knocked on the door and a woman with dark brown hair answered it.

The woman's eyes widened and she exclaimed, "William!"

William embraced the woman in a tight hug and said, "It's good to be home, Awen."

They withdrew from each other and Awen noticed Ti'ana. She stared at her suspiciously and asked William, "Who is she?"

"The Imperials tried to kill her at Helgen Keep." William said. He was about to explain what happened when Awen interrupted him.

"Oh gods," she put her hands over her mouth, "were you at Helgen, William? I've heard that a dragon attacked Helgen!"

"I'll explain everything inside. Are the kids asleep?"

"Yes." Awen nodded and moved aside to let her husband and Ti'ana in.

Everyone sat down at some chairs in front of a table. William started off by introducing Ti'ana to Awen. After that, he explained what had happened in the past few hours. Awen couldn't believe that her husband was almost executed and she nearly teared up. She exclaimed, "Thank the Nine that you survived!"

"I do, Awen," William lowered his head, "I really do." He looked at Ti'ana, who only yawned, and he said to his wife, "I don't know what to do with Ti'ana. She doesn't speak English and I don't know where her home and family are."

"Well," Awen pondered, "she's not from Riverwood, obviously. If she was near the border of Skyrim, then she might be from Cyrodil."

William gave a frustrated sigh. He said, "I am not going back to Cyrodil after being away from home for weeks."

"But we can't let her stay here forever either." Awen thought some more and suggested, "Maybe you can find someone who can understand what she's saying. If someone can understand her, then we'll find out for sure where she's from."

William thought this was a good idea. He said, "Awen, you know I love you, right?"

"I know, but where would you find someone who can speak…whatever she's speaking?"

"A scholar, maybe…hold on." William remembered something. "There's a wizard who works for the Jarl in Whiterun. Maybe he will know something about the language Ti'ana is speaking."

"Good idea," Awen nodded, "but I think there's something else you need to do while you're there."

"What is it?"

Awen lowered her head and said, "Everyone in Riverwood is worried that the dragon might attack at any day, and there are not enough guards here to defend the town. I heard the guards talking about sending someone over to Whiterun to ask the Jarl for extra security, but none of them want to risk leaving Riverwood undefended."

"I understand what you're trying to say," William gave a single nod, "and I'll do it for the town." He yawned and added, "But not until tomorrow morning."

Awen stood up and went to go get some blankets and pillows for Ti'ana. Since there were no extra beds, they had no choice but to have their guest sleep on the floor. Awen made a little makeshift bed out of the blankets and she motioned Ti'ana to lie down. The woman plopped down on the bed and rubbed her face on the fur blankets. William crouched down and said, "Why don't you remove your sword before you sleep?"

He removed the sword from Ti'ana's waist and put it off to the side. The woman snuggled in the blankets and rested her head on the pillows. William looked at his wife and they both decided that they should turn in as well. After blowing out all the candles in the main room, they retreated to their room for the night.

When William entered the main room the next morning, he noticed that Ti'ana was missing. He looked around and he saw his wife in the kitchen with their baby daughter, Natalie, in her arms. He asked Awen, "Where's Ti'ana?"

"She's outside with Elaina." Awen said as she cradled her daughter in her arms.

William stepped outside and it didn't take long for him to see Ti'ana and his eight year old daughter. They were both in the chicken yard, with Elaina collecting eggs in a basket and Ti'ana cradling a hen in her arms. The little girl looked at the woman and asked, "You really like Pricilla, don't you?"

Ti'ana gently stroked her finger under the hen's neck, murmuring unfamiliar words to it. The hen turned its head and stretched her neck to get a better look at the one who was holding her. Elaina walked up to Ti'ana and petted the chicken, saying, "I like her too."

She turned her head and saw William looking at her. She ran up to him and jumped into his arms, crying out, "Daddy!"

"Elaina!" William hoisted the girl into the air and they both laughed.

Hearing their laughter, Ti'ana approached them. William set his daughter down and he asked the woman, "Did you sleep well?"

Ti'ana looked at Elaina, then at William, and she asked him, _"William los aan bormah?"_

Elaina looked at her father and asked, "What is she saying, daddy?"

"I have no idea." William shrugged.

Elaina looked down at the basket of eggs she was holding and she ran back into the house. Ti'ana started to run after her, but William stood in her way. He pointed at the hen, which was still in the woman's arms, and said, "Sorry, but no chickens in the house."

He held his arms out in front of the chicken. Ti'ana looked at the hen, then at William, and she handed the chicken over to him. He walked to the yard and placed the chicken back in it. He motioned Ti'ana to the house and they both went inside to have breakfast.

Half an hour later, William and Ti'ana were both packed and ready for the journey to Whiterun. Awen and Elaina were upset to see William leave already, but he promised to return as soon as he could. After saying goodbye to the family, the duo started their trek north.

Like yesterday afternoon, Ti'ana kept wandering off the path to either chase a butterfly or to look at the wildflowers. One time, she managed to catch a rabbit, but William had her release it, much to her dismay.

Halfway there, they heard a sudden howl. The duo turned their heads and they saw a wolf running towards them. William knew that wolves didn't normally attack humans, so he figured that they were near a wolf den. He didn't want to fight wolves if he could help it, but in his heavy armor, there was no way he could outrun it. He unsheathed his sword and he got into his battle stance.

Ti'ana, however, did not unsheathe her sword. She looked at William with a frown on her face and said, _"Dreh ni krii grohiik."_

William did not have time to answer as the wolf charged at him. After dodging its attack, he swung his sword downwards and sliced its head off. Ti'ana let out an anguished cry and she ran to the wolf's body. She dropped to her knees and she muttered several words under her breath. Seeing her reaction, William figured that Ti'ana was some sort of pacifist, if not an animal lover. Then again, she did try to attack that spider from yesterday, but it was in self-defense. However, that wolf tried to attack them, so why didn't she draw her sword to protect herself then?

Ti'ana fell silent and she stood up. William asked, "What were you doing?"

The woman glared at William, but dropped the glare when she saw the look of confusion on his face. She said, _"Draal. Laas los revak." _She turned her back to William and the dead wolf and she trotted up the path. William tried to run after her, but he could not move fast in his heavy armor.

"Ti'ana!" He called out to her. "Slow down!"

Ti'ana eventually came to a stop on top of a hill. William stopped next to her and he tried to catch his breath. He looked down from the hill and from there, he could see a wide expanse of land below him. On that land, he could see a few farmhouses, a watchtower, and the city of Whiterun. He pointed at the city and said to Ti'ana, "That's where we're headed."

She pointed at the city, to which William nodded. William made his way down the hill, with his companion running ahead of him. When they reached the bottom, they saw a fight in progress.

Near one of the farmhouses was a giant with a large wooden club in its hand. Fighting it were four warriors, three male and one female. There were many arrows stuck on the giant and it had many slash wounds on its legs, but it had also done its fair share of damage, as there were two human corpses on the ground. William had never fought a giant before and he never wanted to, but the fighters looked like they needed assistance. He thought this would be suicide, but he was not one to abandon those in need of aid. He unsheathed his sword and he charged at the giant, leaving Ti'ana behind.

Just as William arrived at the scene, the giant had clubbed one of the fighters to a bloody mess. While the giant's attention was focused on the remaining fighters, William ran behind it and sliced the tendons of its ankles. The giant bellowed and it was forced to drop on its hands and knees. From there, the fighters closed in and hacked away at the giant's face.

William saw something dash past him and jump on the giant's back. To his surprise, it was Ti'ana. He watched as she raised her sword and plunged it into the giant's skull. The giant made a gargling noise and it fell on its face, dead. Upon seeing that kill, it didn't take long for William to dismiss his earlier idea of Ti'ana being a pacifist.

He turned to the fighters and he asked them, "Is everyone alright?"

"Tired," the female warrior answered, "but we are fine." She walked up to one of her companion's corpses and knelt at his side. She said, "We have suffered a heavy loss, but the job is done."

Her two remaining companions nodded solemnly. William asked, "Job? What job?"

"We work for the Companions." One of the male fighters said. "Our job was to kill the giant that had been wandering close to the farms."

William was familiar with the Companions, which was Skyrim's equivalent to the Fighter's Guild in Cyrodil. He had been invited to join a few times, but he refused, since it was usually easier for him to work alone. He looked at the corpses and asked, "You need any help carrying them back?"

"No." The woman shook her head. The two men walked up to their fallen companions, picked them up, and hoisted them over their backs. As they were about to leave, the woman said, "Thanks for the help back there."

William watched them slowly walk towards Whiterun. He turned to Ti'ana and saw that she was having trouble pulling her sword out of the giant's thick skull. He climbed on top of the giant and he grabbed the hilt of the sword. Together, they pulled out the sword. He dropped back to the ground and he brushed his own sword against the grass. He had a habit of doing that so that his sword would be clean of blood for the next battle. Ti'ana dropped down next to him and mimicked his actions. He nodded at her and said, "Good; it's always wise to clean your weapon after a battle."

He stood up and sheathed his weapon, as did Ti'ana with hers. They continued their trek to Whiterun, crossing paths with the Companions once more. William asked them, "Are you sure you don't need any help carrying the bodies back?"

"No," the female Companion shook her head, "as fellow Companions, we are obligated to carry our dead back without any assistance."

William nodded and reluctantly passed the group. In no time, he and Ti'ana arrived at the front gate of Whiterun. However, just as they got close to it, a guard came and stopped them. He said, "I am sorry, but the Jarl has forbidden anyone to enter or leave the city."

William couldn't believe what he was hearing. He asked, "Why?"

"Because of the dragon attack at Helgen, everyone is on edge."

"But I have a message for the Jarl from Riverwood."

"You do? What kind of message?"

"Riverwood needs extra guards from Whiterun to protect it."

The guard thought for a moment before saying, "Fine, you may enter, but you must go straight to the Jarl."

"We will." William said.

The guard opened the gate and the duo stepped through into the city. William knew that the Jarl of Whiterun would be in his castle of Dragonsreach, so he made his way there. During the brisk walk to the castle, Ti'ana took in the sights of the city.

There were many houses scattered about the city, as well as an inn and a few stores. They passed by a small market, where the vendors sold meat, vegetables, wine, and cheese. Up a slope, she saw a white, barren tree standing in the center of a circle of houses. As they ascended a flight of stairs, she could hear a nearby preacher preaching the end of the world to anyone who bothered to listen. More flights of stairs later, they arrived at the door to Dragonsreach. William opened the door and they both went inside.

The main hall was huge, and Ti'ana gaped at the large amount of empty space. There were a few guards posted, a few servants wandering about, and, at the end of a room, a bearded man sat on a throne. William walked up to the man in the throne, but a Dark Elf who was at his side walked up to the warrior and drew her sword. William froze in place, as did Ti'ana.

The Dark Elf asked, "What business do you have with the Jarl?"

Unafraid of the intimidating elf, William answered, "I have a message from Riverwood."

"Move aside, Irileth," the man in the throne said, "let our guests through."

The Dark Elf lowered her head and sheathed her sword. She backed away, saying, "Yes, my Jarl."

William and Ti'ana walked up to the Jarl. William dropped to one knee and said, "Greetings to you, Jarl Balgruff." He looked at Ti'ana and motioned his hand downwards, gesturing for her to kneel. She had a confused look on her face, but she dropped to one knee nevertheless.

"And a fair welcome to you, too." The Jarl said. He looked confused as to why this man was motioning the woman to kneel, but he decided to say nothing about it. Instead, he asked, "What is this message you bring?"

William stood up and Ti'ana mimicked this action. He answered, "As you may guess, Riverwood is scared of the dragon, and they lack reinforcements. The town would like you to spare some soldiers to watch over it."

"I wish I could," the Jarl frowned, "but Whiterun needs all of its guards."

"Please, I don't want my hometown to end up like Helgen Keep!"

"Helgen? What do you know about Helgen?"

"We were at Helgen when the dragon attacked."

"You were?" Jarl Balgruff seemed surprised. "I heard that the only survivor was Ulfric Stormcloak."

"Believe me, we were there!"

The Jarl narrowed his eyes and scratched his beard in thought. He said, "You have the look of a man who does not lie. I will believe you, but I still cannot give aid to Riverwood."

"Jarl Balgruff," William pleaded, "what must I do to convince you to send aid?"

The Jarl thought some more before saying, "If you really were at Helgen, then maybe you could help my court wizard with something. Do that, and I'll see if I can spare a few soldiers."

"Thank you."

Irileth stepped forward and told the duo, "This way."

She walked to the right and led the group to what looked like an alchemical workshop. There was a table with vials, leaves, and various animal body parts strewn about, as well as a table that was covered in glowing blue runes. Sitting in a chair and reading a book was a man wearing a dark blue robe. Irileth said to him, "Got your nose in a book again, Farengar?"

The man lifted his head up and glowered at the Dark Elf. She ignored the glare and said, "Here are some people who can help you out with your 'research'."

With that said, Irileth turned around and walked right back to the Jarl's side. Farengar sighed and turned his attention to the duo. He said, "I overheard your conversation with the Jarl. Personally, I'm rather jealous that you got to see the dragon up close."

"Jealous?" William asked.

Farengar set his book down and stood up. He said, "You see, I've been studying dragons for some time now, both their language and their history. Since yesterday, I've been yearning to collect some sort of sample from a live dragon."

"Wait, did you say _a_ dragon? Are you saying that there's more than one out there?"

"You didn't know? Since yesterday, there have been several dragon sightings."

William could not believe it. First, there was one dragon, now there were several? He asked, "Since when have dragons started coming back?"

"That's what everyone wants to know!" Farengar raised his voice. "Everyone but me is starting to see them all over Skyrim! Oh, if only I could get a sample! A bone, a scale, some blood-!"

"You really want us to find a dragon? That's suicide!"

"Yes, I know, I'm not stupid enough to send someone to their death, even if it is for the sake of research. No, I'll have you two do something else for me. I've heard of a tablet called the Dragonstone that shows a map of all the dragon burial mounds, and it just happens to be at Bleak Falls Barrow. I would go there to get the tablet myself, but my duties keep me from leaving Dragonsreach."

"I understand." William gave a single nod. "We'll get that tablet for you." Since Bleak Falls Barrow was near Riverwood, he knew where it was at.

"Good, I am counting on-_what_ are you doing?"

As Farengar and William were talking, Ti'ana was picking up each alchemical ingredient and examining them closely. Startled by the wizard's sudden yell, the woman gasped and backed away. She saw Farengar's face turn red with anger and she cried out, _"Aaz, rahgron kro!"_

The wizard's eyes widened and the red left his face. He gaped and whispered, "What did you say?"

"That was another thing I wanted to talk to you about." William said. "Ever since I met her, she has been speaking this strange language, and I was wondering if you knew what she was saying."

"You don't know?" Farengar stared at William with surprise. He said, "Your friend is speaking _Faal Dovahtinvaak_, Dragonspeech!"

_"Faal Dovahtinvaak?" _Ti'ana asked with surprise. _"Tinvaak Dovah, Bron kro?"_

"Dragonspeech?" William stared at Ti'ana. Out of all the languages in Tamriel, he never imagined that Ti'ana was speaking Dragon. Stuck in disbelief, he asked Farengar, "Did you just say 'Dragonspeech'?"

"I did," the wizard nodded, "though I only know a few words, like 'kro' meaning 'sorcerer'. The only people who truly speak Dragon are the Graybeards who live at High Hrothgar."

William had heard about the Graybeards, but he did not know much about them, other than they were old hermits who lived near the top of a mountain. If they spoke the same language as Ti'ana, then High Hrothgar would be their next stop. Of course, they still had to get the Dragonstone for Farengar if Riverwood was to receive any aid from Whiterun.

"Thank you for the information," William said, "we'll go there once we get the Dragonstone."

William gave a short farewell and he turned to leave. The wizard gave a small goodbye wave to the duo, to which Ti'ana returned the wave before leaving with her companion. Behind them, they could hear Farengar mumbling about dragons with excitement.

Outside of Dragonsreach, William muttered to himself, "This is going to take a while, but I'll do whatever it takes for Riverwood to have its reinforcements, though I haven't explored a cave or a ruin in several years. Well, even if I work best alone" he smiled at Ti'ana, "it's still good to have you to help me out, now that I see that you aren't completely helpless."

Even though she didn't know what he was saying, Ti'ana still returned the smile.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 is done, though I can tell that this story is far from over. Next time, William and Ti'ana go to Bleak Falls Barrow, where they find the Dragonstone and something else.<strong>

**You can probably tell already, but I'm going to follow the main storyline in this fanfiction.**


	3. Chapter 3:  Dovahgolz

**Disclaimer: Out on coffee break.**

**Sorry I took so long to update! I had work and other things to do (the story of my life outside of Fanfiction).**

**Ti'ana is a strange character, as you can already guess. She cradles chickens and rabbits, yet she plunges a sword in a giant's skull. She acts like a curious little child, yet she plunges a sword in a giant's skull. She doesn't want to kill a wolf, yet she plunges her sword…you get the picture.**

**These dungeons are most likely going to be 90% inaccurate, since I don't have good dungeon memory. At least I remember the important rooms.**

**This story is now rated M for graphic violence. Also, I will now be posting translation notes at the end of each chapter for those who are not versed in the dragon language.**

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><p>Chapter 3: Dovahgolz<p>

William and Ti'ana had to climb another one of the many slopes of Skyrim to reach Bleak Falls Barrow. William had seen these old Nord ruins before, so he was not all that impressed. Ti'ana, on the other hand, was in awe.

The towers of the stone ruins seemed to touch the sky. The ruins themselves were worn and cracked from weather and time. When the duo climbed the final flight of stone stairs, they found that they were not alone.

Posted near the door to the inner ruins were five Nord men. They wore leather armor, wielded swords and battleaxes, and intimidating expressions on their faces. They spotted the duo and they all drew their weapons out. They ran at them, with one of them yelling, "You shouldn't have come here!"

"Damn," William groaned, "bandits."

He had come across many bandits on his travels years ago, and they didn't seem to have changed over the years. Bandits always made camp either at abandoned campsites or at old ruins, and they were hostile towards everyone. William drew out his sword and took his battle stance. Ti'ana frowned at the incoming bandits and she unsheathed her weapon as well.

The bandits came in a single wave and formed a semicircle around the duo. William could see that they were completely covered except for their necks and faces, their obvious Achilles Heel. At that moment, he really wished Ti'ana could understand what he was saying so that he could relay a coordinated plan of attack to her. Either way, they both had to be careful. One wrong move and they could lose their lives, in a possible addition to their heads or limbs.

William charged at one bandit and gave out a loud battle cry in an attempt to startle his enemy. His sudden rush and cry seemed to work, as the bandit looked surprised and it took him a second before he could make a move. In that one second, William plunged his sword into the bandit's throat and kicked him down.

On Ti'ana's end, two bandits charged at her. With cat-like agility, she rolled between the two bandits and managed to avoid their attacks. She got to her feet and swung her sword as she turned around. That one attack hit the arms of the bandits as they turned to face her. One of them cried out in pain and dropped his axe so that he could hold onto his wound with his good hand.

The other wasn't as affected and he charged at Ti'ana. She sidestepped him and swung her sword across his abdomen, which cut through both the leather armor and his flesh. The bandit cried out in pain and Ti'ana finished him off by plunging her sword into his chest. Without warning, a burning sensation struck her back.

From behind her, another bandit had plunged his sword into her back. William, having just finished off another bandit, saw this and cried out, "Ti'ana!"

He ran towards her, shoving the bandit with the wounded arm aside in the process. He grabbed the other bandit by the wrist and pulled him away from Ti'ana. He shoved his enemy down to the snow and plunged his sword into his throat. He turned to Ti'ana and saw that the sword was still lodged in her back. Her eyes were wide and a painful moan escaped her open mouth. She looked like she was in shock.

Fortunately, William knew two spells, with one of them being a basic healing spell. However, it was only basic stuff. He had no idea if this spell would be enough to save Ti'ana, but he had to try. He sheathed his sword, grabbed the hilt of the sword in his ally with one hand, and raised the other to use the spell.

A warm, yellow-red orb of light formed in his hand, with waves of light emanating from it. As if seeing the wound on Ti'ana, the waves drifted towards her wound and caressed it. William held his breath, prayed to the Nine, and slowly started to pull the sword out.

Ti'ana winced in pain, but with the healing spell in effect, the pain wasn't as great. The waves of light poured into the wound as the sword was slowly removed from her back. When it was completely removed, the waves stopped the bleeding and closed the wound, leaving a small scar behind. William dropped the sword and he let out a sigh of relief. He had never really delved into magic, but out of all the schools of magic, he was most grateful for the School of Restoration.

He looked at Ti'ana's face and saw her pained expression slowly vanish. He asked in a shaky voice, "Are you okay?"

Ti'ana turned around and saw the bloody sword on the ground. She stared at William's hand and saw the orb of light vanish. She grabbed his hand and traced her fingers over his palm. Wonder lit up her eyes and she lifted her head to look at William. She whispered,_"Zu'u lahney. Vokrii dii ahraan." _She gave a broad smile.

"I don't know what you said," William said, "but I'm guessing that you're saying 'thank you'." He returned the smile.

In his head, he went over the scenes of Ti'ana fighting the other bandits. When she fought the spider yesterday, she looked like she was an amateur fighter, but when she fought the giant and the bandits, she looked like she had more experience than he originally thought. Since when did she become so good at fighting? The only thing he could think of was that she learned from watching him fight.

William remembered the last bandit with the wounded arm and he searched for him. He saw him fleeing down the stairs, but he decided that he was too far for him to chase him down and finish him off. He turned to the door to the ruins and walked up to it. He opened it slowly and flinched when the door gave out a loud creak. If there were any more bandits inside, then they would have heard that.

He stood on one side of the door and decided that it would be best to ambush the bandits when they came out. He pointed to the other side of the door to Ti'ana and she moved towards it. She stared at him and decided to sidle alongside the wall, just like he was.

William's hunch proved to be correct, as he soon heard echoing footsteps approaching from within. The door opened some more and a Khajiit's head poked out. He immediately saw the dead bodies of his comrades, but William swung his sword down on his neck before he could alert the others inside. That attempt to silence the bandit, however, did not work, as a second after the body dropped to the floor, three more bandits slammed the door wide open and charged outside.

Luckily, William and Ti'ana had the element of surprise. They both struck the sides of the two nearest bandits and they both fell forward with their blood and intestines spilling out onto the snow. The remaining bandit ran back into the ruins before either William or Ti'ana could attack him.

"Damn," William swore, "he's probably going to get help."

He peered inside and he could see the bandit run through a door at the end of the wide room. William slowly stepped inside and treaded lightly. Ti'ana was at his side, though her steps were not as cautious as his. She glanced around the room.

Part of the ceiling had collapsed, letting sunlight, wind, and snow inside the room. Fallen stone pillars were scattered on the floor, so the duo had to step over them. Near the back of the room, there was a campfire and a few barrels and bedrolls. The smell of roast rabbit filled their nostrils and their stomachs growled in response, but they knew they couldn't stop to eat now. In the very back of the room was the door that the bandit fled through.

The door was left open and there, the duo could see a narrow corridor. William knew they couldn't be ambushed here, so he walked through first. The duo followed the corridor until they saw the opening to a smaller room. William figured that the bandit might be trying to pull of the same ambush move that William did to his friends. He took a step back and decided to bolt into the room. He ran forward and quickly turned around to see if the bandit was hiding beside the door. Fortunately he was not. Ti'ana stepped into the room and looked at William with a confused look on her face.

"You can't be too careful." William told her. He knew that trying to talk to her was pointless, but he would rather talk to her than to let silence drive him mad.

They continued further into the ruins, seeing no signs of the fleeing bandit or any other bandits. Sometime later, they saw that some of the rooms were covered in webbing. William had the feeling that the bandits weren't in complete control of the ruins. When the duo stepped into the next room, they immediately spotted the corpses.

There were two Frostbite Spider corpses, along with the corpse of the bandit who fled earlier. Along with the corpses, there were two live spiders present. They turned to the duo and skittered up to them. William decided that now was a good time to try out his other spell. He raised one hand and a flickering flame appeared out of nowhere. He held his palm upwards and a stream of fire shot out of his hand, igniting the spiders.

The spiders backed away, but William walked forward, never letting the stream of fire dissipate. Soon, the spiders rolled on their back and their legs curled up. Ti'ana slowly walked up to one spider and kicked it. When it didn't move, she went to the other one and kicked it several times. She had an anxious look on her face, but then it went back to normal. William had seen that same expression on his wife's face whenever she stomped on a small spider at home.

William chuckled. So that was why Ti'ana didn't seem to be a good fighter when she fought that one spider: she was scared of it! Ti'ana was scared of spiders. William said, "You're just like Awen."

Ti'ana looked at him and saw the look of amusement on his face. She did not know what was so funny, and she did not say anything. William looted the bandit and took his gold and his hide shield. He could never get the hang of shields, but if he wanted to guard Ti'ana's back, then it would be best if he took one. He slipped his left arm through the handles of the shield and gripped it tightly. It felt strange to be wielding a shield, but he hoped he could get used to it quickly. Ti'ana looked at his shield, then turned to the corridor that led to the next room. She ran on ahead, followed by William.

In the next room, she came to a sudden stop and screamed. William accidentally bumped into her and he had to push past her so that he could see what she was screaming at. His eyes widened and saw that Ti'ana had a good reason to be screaming like that.

Standing in the middle of the room was a Frostbite spider, though it was at least twice the size of a normal one. Webbing covered the walls and eggs were piled in the corners of the room. One web covered the entryway to the next corridor and, tangled up in it, was a Dark Elf in regular cloth clothing. He turned to the duo and screamed, "Help me!"

The spider turned around and clicked its pincers. Ti'ana froze in place and many shallow breaths escaped from her mouth. William thought up of a quick strategy. If one of them could keep the spider's attention, then the other could sneak up from behind, climb onto the spider's back, and strike at its head from there. He looked at his companion and he saw the color leave her face. He figured that he will be the bait. Hopefully, Ti'ana would snap out of it and strike the thing down.

William fired a jet of flame at the spider. It backed away at first, but then it suddenly jumped forward. When it landed, it knocked William back and Ti'ana off to the side. Ti'ana screamed again, scrambled to her feet, and backed away from the spider. William was about to get up when he saw the spider lunge at him, pincers first. He instinctively raised his shield and managed to block the pincers before they could latch onto his neck.

He dropped his sword and he fired another jet of fire at the spider's face. It seemed to shriek as it backed away. William got to his feet, stopped firing his spell, and picked up his sword. He heard the sound of a blade slicing through flesh and one of the spider's hind legs was lopped off. He saw that Ti'ana had returned to her senses and was slicing off another leg. The spider started to lean to one side, but it still managed to turn around to face its adversary. William ran forward and chopped off a leg in an attempt to get the spider's attention.

The attempt worked, as the spider now turned back around. With its gaze off of her, Ti'ana raised her sword and swung it downwards like an executioner with an axe. The sword was embedded halfway in the spider's head, so Ti'ana pulled it out and swung again. Even after the spider was dead, she still struck at it over and over again.

William stared in awe at the scene before him. Ti'ana finally stopped her attacks and she exhaled loudly. She sheathed her sword, which she forgot to clean afterwards, and gave the spider's corpse a hard kick. She was no longer frightened and color was returning to her face, yet the look of disgust would not leave her face.

"You killed it! Great!" The elf in the webbing shouted. "Can you help me out now?"

In their fight with the spider, the duo had completely forgotten about the trapped elf. William ran up to him and started to pull the threads of the webbing out with his sword. He could have just burned the webbing off with his flame spell, but he did not want to risk burning the elf by accident. Eventually, the last of the strands were cut off and the elf was free. However, instead of thanking his rescuer, the Dark Elf ran further into the ruins, saying, "That treasure's mine!"

"Treasure?" William sighed. He quickly realized that the elf he had just saved was one of those greedy treasure hunters.

Ti'ana walked next to him and stared off at the direction the elf ran off in. William looked her over and saw that she was unharmed. They walked down the torch-lit corridor and soon came across a small door. William opened the door and the smell of dust and rotting corpses filled his nostrils. Past the door, he could hear a faint wooshing noise. With sword in hand, he slowly walked through the door.

As the duo slowly walked down the corridor, the sound grew louder. They made a turn and they both gagged at what they saw.

In front of them was a narrower corridor with three double-bladed pendulums swinging back and forth through it. Underneath the first pendulum was the treasure hunter, whose side was pierced. He lay still on the floor, his blood pooling the floor. William was, unfortunately, used to this sight. He had explored booby-trapped ruins before, and once in a while, he would find an unfortunate victim of those traps.

Ti'ana whimpered and turned her head away. William stared down the narrow corridor. He knew that at the end of each pendulum corridor, there was a pull chain that deactivated the trap. He had crossed these corridors before, yet he could never get used to it. There were spaces between the pendulums, and the pendulums always moved at a certain speed. All William had to do was time each crossing right and he would make it to the other side. He took a deep breath and approached the corridor.

He watched the pendulums and saw that they swung on two second intervals. He muttered, "One, two, swing. One, two, swing. One-." He ran past the first pendulum and stopped before the second one. "-two, swing." The second pendulum swung inches away from his face. He kept up this pattern until he reached the end. As expected, there was a pull chain on the ceiling. He yanked it down and the pendulums moved back into the walls.

Noticing the absence of the swinging sound of the pendulums, Ti'ana turned her head back around. She did not see the pendulums, but she did see William at the other end of the narrow corridor, beckoning for her to come over. She stared at the corpse on the floor, then at William, and ran down the corridor. As she stepped over the corpse of the treasure hunter, her foot accidentally kicked something. A metallic object skittered forward a few feet and William instantly recognized it.

On the floor was a sculpture of a dragon's claw, mostly made out of gold and now stained red with the treasure hunter's blood. When Ti'ana reached the other end of the corridor, he walked up to the object and picked it up.

"This is Lucan's Golden Claw." William said out loud. "What is it doing here?"

In Riverwood, there was a man named Lucan who ran a general store in town. He owned the Golden Dragon Claw, a family heirloom, and he usually left it out on display for his customers to see. William looked at the treasure hunter and figured that he stole it from Lucan at some point. He looked at the claw in his hand and wiped it on his pants leg to wipe the blood off. He pocketed it and made a mental note to return the claw to Lucan after he retrieved the Dragonstone for Farengar. He looked into the next room and entered it with Ti'ana.

The room was spacious, with large rectangular openings in the walls. In each opening was a mummified body, with some of them still wearing their armor. He knew that among these corpses, there were some Draugr in hiding. William knew that Draugr were undead Nords that used to serve the Dragons. In every Nordic ruin he had explored, there were always restless Draugr present, some of them weak, others so ridiculously strong, he had to run from them. He eventually learned to sneak up on them from their resting places and take them out early.

What set off the undead Draugr from the dead ones was that the undead still wore their armor. William took out his sword and snuck up on one resting Draugr. Of course, the attack would wake the others up, but at least he would take one out before facing the rest at once. He raised his sword, plunged it into the Draugr's head, and pulled it downwards until the blade reached its lower abdomen. The Draugr opened its mouth in surprise, but it did nothing else.

Upon hearing the sound of a blade tearing through rotten flesh and between rattling bones, six undead Draugr sat up and slid out of the spaces in the walls. They drew out their swords, axes, and bows and glared at their two opponents. The duo turned to face the undead, with their own weapons at the ready.

One Draugr with an axe stepped forward and snarled, _"Aav dilon!"_

_ "Yah praan, dilon Bron." _Ti'ana said as she tightened her grip on her sword.

The other Draugr roared and the ones with swords and axes charged forward while the ones with bows took a few steps back and readied their bows. William knew from experience that the only real way to stop an undead was to behead or dismember it completely. Two Draugr with axes were the first to strike at William, but he managed to block them both with his shield. However, the impact of the attacks caused him to recoil backwards and lower his shield arm.

Ti'ana saw the vulnerable position William was in and she raised her sword above the two Draugr. She swung her sword downwards in an attempt to slice off their arms, but one of them managed to turn around and block her attack with its axe. The other Draugr tried to swing its axe at Ti'ana's head, but she managed to duck in time. Instead of hitting her, the Draugr accidently hit its companion, embedding its axe in its chest. It didn't die, but it did fall over backwards from the attack. It looked at its companion and shouted curses that only Ti'ana could understand.

The two Draugr with swords closed in and both Ti'ana and William scooted away from them. William sheathed his sword and fired a jet of fire at the incoming Draugr. They caught on fire, yet that did not stop them. William felt something slice past the side of his face and he winced in pain. He turned his head and saw that the bow-wielding Draugr were readying their arrows for another attack. Taking advantage of William's momentary disruption of thought, one of the sword-wielding Draugr charged at him. William managed to raise his shield to block just in time and slash at his enemy's torso. It hit its side, but the force behind the swing wasn't enough to sever the two halves of the body.

William pulled his sword out and was about to strike again when the Draugr blocked him with its own sword. Meanwhile, Ti'ana had managed to sever the other Draugr's weapon-wielding arm. She dodged the Draugr's one-armed swipes and she was quick to behead it. She saw that William was in need of aid, so she ran behind the Draugr he was fighting and plunged her sword into its back. She kicked the undead warrior to the ground and William finished it off with a quick beheading.

The archers near the back of the room fired their arrows, with both of them hitting Ti'ana's back. She cried out in pain and turned around to see the two axe-wielding Draugr charging at her. She scooted backwards and looked to her companion for help. William fired a jet of fire from his hand at the two Draugr, but they did not slow down. He and Ti'ana backed against the nearest wall. The two Draugr raised their axes, but both Nord and Breton were able to run off to the sides the moment they swung their axes downwards. The duo swung their swords at the Draugrs' heads and they both flew off their bodies at almost the exact same time.

"Since when were you a great fighter?" William asked Ti'ana.

She did not answer, but turned her attention to the archers. The archers, seeing that they were the final targets, put away their bows and drew out their swords. The archers charged at the duo, to which they readied their swords and shield. Sword clashed against sword in a furious frenzy. At some point, William shield-bashed one of the archers, leaving it wide open for attack. He first sliced off the Draugr's weapon-wielding arm, then he beheaded it. The body dropped to the floor and William helped Ti'ana take down the last Draugr.

Finally, all the enemies were eliminated. William used this opportunity to remove the arrows from Ti'ana's body and heal their wounds. He looked down the next corridor, knowing that there were more Draugr waiting for him and Ti'ana. He could tell from fighting them that these Draugr were weaker than the ones he had fought before in other ruins. He moved slowly down the corridor, with Ti'ana following close behind.

He peered around the corner and saw some Draugr trying to hide in plain sight alongside the wall, posing as actual dead corpses. He unsheathed his sword and looked at Ti'ana. She nodded, unsheathed her weapon, and they both closed in.

* * *

><p>Many rooms and Draugr later, the duo came to a large, circular door with three concentric rings on it. At the very center of the door were a few holes that looked like only a special key could fit in. William looked closely at the rings and saw little diagrams of animals on them. An idea crossed his mind and he fished out the Golden Claw that he got from the thief.<p>

He looked at the claw closely and saw that there were three small circles on its palm and wrist, with each circle bearing an image of an animal. As he was examining the claw, Ti'ana brushed her fingers on the images of the animals on the outermost ring on the door. She gasped and took a step back as the ring slowly rotated clockwise on its own. It stopped on its own after a quarter-turn, with a different animal showing on the top.

William looked at the rings, then at the claw, and he knew what he had to do. He approached the door and moved the rings until the animals on top matched the ones on the claw. When that was done, he fitted the nails of the claws into the holes and turned it like a key. A click came from the door and it sank into the floor. Past it, the ruins continued on. He pocketed the claw and said to himself, "So that's why the thief took Lucan's claw."

William wondered just what lay beyond the door. Hopefully, the Dragonstone would be there. He and Ti'ana went through several more rooms until they reached a large cavern.

There were some holes in the ceiling, letting sunlight in. The light shined on a stone coffin and a large stone wall with hieroglyphs on it. Ti'ana's eyes suddenly widened and she exclaimed, _"Zu'u hon nii! Zu'u hon Rotmulaag!"_

"What is it?" William asked.

_"'Fus, Fus, Fus', nii tinvaak."_

Ti'ana made a sudden bolt towards the wall. William eyed the stone coffin warily. From his past experiences in Nordic ruins, every time there was a wide room with a coffin in the center, there was a tough Draugr to fight. He ran after Ti'ana and they both stopped before the wall.

Ti'ana traced her fingers across the foreign writing that was carved into the wall, saying, _"'Het nak Faal Vahlok, deinmaar do Dovahgolz ahrk aan Fus do unslaad rahgol ahrk vulom.'" _Her fingers stopped over one character and she chanted, _"Fus, Fus, Fus…"_

William was not all that surprised. After all, if Ti'ana could speak Dragon, then she might as well be able to read Dragon. A loud bang resounded in the room and the duo turned away from the wall. The lid of the stone coffin had flown off, and an armored Draugr stepped out. The duo drew out their weapons, with William groaning, "I knew it."

The Draugr drew out its sword, which had a blue glow to it, and charged at the duo. It stopped short of their reach and shouted, _"__**Fus**__!"_

Both William and Ti'ana staggered at the force behind the Draugr's voice and they nearly lost their balance. The Draugr swung its sword at Ti'ana, but William managed to step between them and block the attack with his shield. He swung his shield and knocked his enemy's weapon wielding arm out of the way, giving him an opening to attack. He swung his sword to decapitate the Draugr, but it ducked and rolled off to the side.

William sheathed his sword and fired a stream of fire out of his spare hand at the Draugr, who was just now getting to its feet. Ti'ana ran behind the enemy and tried to stab it from behind, but it turned around and blocked her attack with its sword. The Draugr slid its blade past hers and pierced her abdomen. Ti'ana cried out in pain and staggered backwards. With her spare hand, she covered her wound, which was strangely cold to the touch.

Seeing that she was in danger, William ceased his flame spell and ran at the Draugr, shield first. Just as it was about to attack Ti'ana again, William tackled it and they both fell to the ground. He kept the Draugr pinned underneath him and he drew out his sword again. Not showing any mercy, he plunged his sword sideways through the Draugr's head. His adversary's jaw hung open and it did not move.

William slowly got off of the Draugr and, to make sure it was really dead, he removed his sword from its skull and chopped its head off. He turned to Ti'ana and saw that she was covering her wound with her hand. He walked up to her and gently pulled her hand away so that he could see the extent of the damage.

Thin flakes of ice were forming over the wound and the skin around it was pale. Trickles of blood leaked out of the ice-covered wound and started to stain the fur on Ti'ana's armor. William could tell that the Draugr's sword was enchanted with a cold spell, yet he couldn't tell how deep the wound was, or if any organs were pierced. He sheathed his sword and put a hand over the cold wound.

Ti'ana winced in pain at the sudden contact, yet she knew what William was going to do next. The familiar orb of light appeared in his hand and he pressed it into the wound. Gradually, the ice melted, the blood stopped leaking, and the wound closed itself up. William withdrew his hand and the orb faded away. Once again, Ti'ana smiled gratefully and gave what William assumed to be her thanks.

William now turned his attention to the now dead Draugr. He searched its corpse, but the Dragonstone was not on it. He picked up its sword and looked carefully at it. It was old and its blade jagged and very cold to the touch. He figured he would keep the enchanted sword until its magic ran out. He removed the sheath and belt from the Draugr and strapped it over his own belt, with the sheath at his left side. He sheathed the new sword and now turned to look at the coffin.

Ti'ana was already peering inside it and she took something out of it. It was a heavy looking five-sided stone. On one side, there were lines that depicted what looked like a map, on the other, there was Dragon writing. She flipped the stone so that the written side was face up and she read, _"'Het nok un mahlaan drogge erei suleyk se Alduin vokrii.'"_

She frowned and set the stone back into the coffin. William approached it and removed his pack from his back. Knowing that this hunk of rock was the Dragonstone, he picked it up and stuffed it into pack before putting it back on. He hoped that Farengar would be happy with it as he now started to search for a way out.

He immediately noticed a staircase leading to an opening in the back wall. The duo went up the stairs and through the opening, wondering where it would take them. From past experience, William knew that the small passageway should lead them back near the entrance of the ruins. His hunch was right as he found a lever on the wall. He pulled it down and a portion of the rock wall slid down, revealing a familiar passageway.

"Let's get out of here." William said to Ti'ana.

They backtracked through the rooms of Bleak Falls Barrow until they reached the outside. Chilly breezes and the sunset's light greeted the duo as they stepped out of the ruins. As they made their way down from the summit, William realized just how fatigued he was. He realized with dread that he was not as young as he used to be years ago.

He figured that the next plan of action would be to return to Riverwood. There, he would return the Golden Claw to Lucan, rest up at home, then go to Whiterun the next day. He looked at Ti'ana and figured that she would need better armor than the fur she was wearing right now. After all the looting they did today, he figured that he had enough gold to get the better armor she needed.

William looked at Ti'ana and said, "Let's go home."

* * *

><p><strong>Whew! This is the longest chapter I have written for any story so far! Next time, the duo brings the Dragonstone and they face a surprise enemy.<strong>

**And now, the moment you have all been waiting for, here are the translation notes:**

""_Zu'u lahney. Vokrii dii ahraan." _= "I live [I'm alive]. Restore my wound [You restored/healed my wound/injury]."

"_Aav dilon." _= "Join dead."

"_Yah praan, dilon Bron." _= "Find rest, dead Nord."

"_Zu'u hon nii! Zu'u hon Rotmulaag!" _= "I hear it! I hear [the] Word of Power!"

"'_Fus, Fus, Fus', nii tinvaak." _= "'Force, Force, Force', it speak[s]."

"_Het nok Faal Vahlok, deinmaar do Dovahgolz ahrk aan Fus do unslaad rahgol ahrk vulom." _= "Here lies The Guardian, keeper of [the] Dragonstone and a Force of eternal rage and darkness."

"_Het nok un mahlaan drogge erei suleyk se Alduin vokrii." _= "Here lie our fallen lords, until [the] power of Alduin revives."


	4. Chapter 4:  Dovah Grah

**Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Bethesda's Skyrim.**

**Now, you may be wondering about the healing spell William used in the last chapter. I just basically combined Healing and Healing Hands to make a more general healing spell (why make healing yourself and healing others two separate spells, I ask).**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: <em>Dovah Grah<em>

Fortunately for William, the blacksmith's was still open when they arrived back at Riverwood. With the gold he collected, he bought a complete leather armor set for Ti'ana. After that, he stopped by Lucan's general store. The man behind the counter, who was taking inventory, lifted his head up and exclaimed, "William! It's good to see you again!"

Ti'ana's eyes fell on all the different merchandise for sale and she immediately began browsing. William walked up to the counter and fished out the Golden Dragon Claw, saying, "I believe this is yours, Lucan?"

Lucan's eyes widened and, snatching the claw out of William's hand, said, "The claw! Someone stole it a few months ago, and I never thought I would see it again! Wherever did you find it?"

"I found it on the thief's body at Bleak Falls Barrow." William said. He decided not to mention the secret room that the claw unlocked. During his talk with Lucan, he failed to hear Ti'ana mutter, _"Grik brii."_

Lucan held the family heirloom close and asked, "How can I ever repay you, William?"

"You don't need to."

"Please, there must be-_what_ are you doing?"

Lucan turned his head to the side and saw that Ti'ana was looking at the Soul Gems that he kept on the counter. One by one, she picked them up, peered at them closely with fascination, and pocketed them. Just as she was about to pick up another gem, Lucan grabbed her wrist and shook it violently, saying, "I won't have any more thieves taking things from my store while I'm around!"

"Lucan!" William pried the shopkeeper's hand away from Ti'ana and told him, "She doesn't know any better. She isn't…familiar with Tamriel's customs." In a way, that statement was true, yet he didn't know for sure.

"I find that hard to believe." Lucan narrowed his eyes.

William held his hand out in front of Ti'ana and told her, "Hand them over."

Ti'ana looked at the hand, but did nothing else. William gave a frustrated sigh and, not really wanting to do this, stuck his hand in Ti'ana's pants pocket and fished out the Soul Gems.

_"Nid!" _She pouted.

She tried to snatch the gems back, but William shook his head at her. He set the gems back down on the counter and pleaded to Lucan, "Please don't press charges on her. She didn't mean to steal them. I'll pay for them, if you want."

Lucan counted the gems and, after seeing that they were all back, said, "Well, you _did_ bring my claw back. Tell you what, I'll let you keep them as your reward."

"Really?" William asked. "I'm sure Ti'ana will appreciate this."

He picked five of the gems up and handed them to Ti'ana, saying, "Looks like you get to keep them after all."

She was confused at first, but then she showed her gratitude with a broad smile. She pocketed them again and William led her out of the store. During the short walk home, he now wondered why Ti'ana was so fascinated with the Soul Gems. Could she somehow sense the souls that were trapped inside those gems, or did she just think they were pretty? William never really used Soul Gems, since he never really used staves or enchanted weaponry. Plus, he really hated the idea that some people would absorb the souls of the fallen, whether it be animal, humanoid, or monster, just to fill the gems with magic power that would only be used to refurbish the magic in a weapon or staff.

When they arrived at his house, the door opened up and Awen was the first to greet them.

"Welcome home." She said to her husband with a warm smile on her face. She turned to Ti'ana and said, "Welcome back." She turned back to her husband and asked, "Is Whiterun sending reinforcements?"

"Not yet." William sighed and shook his head. "Whiterun is just on edge as Riverwood, and the Jarl won't send any reinforcements until I finish an errand for his court wizard."

"An errand?" Awen folded her arms. "What is this wizard having you do; fetch alchemy ingredients from a cave full of Ice Trolls?"

"Actually, no. He wanted me to retrieve a relic that might help him in his research on the dragons. Ti'ana and I have already found it; all we have to do is bring it back, but after we rest up."

A small figure pushed past Awen and jumped at William, who he caught and lifted up in the air. Little Elaina squealed in her father's arms, "Daddy! You're back!"

"That I am." William grinned as he set his daughter down.

"Well," Awen glanced at the kitchen, "I just finished cooking dinner, if you are in the mood for venison stew."

William sniffed the air and his stomach growled in response. Ti'ana also sniffed the air and she made her way towards the kitchen. She stopped in front of a kettle that hung over the fire and was about to reach for the lid when Awen ran up to her and grabbed her wrist.

"Careful!" The housewife scolded. "You'll burn yourself if you try to take the lid off like that!"

Awen released her grip, searched the many pockets of her apron, and fished out a mitt. She slipped it over her good hand and she carefully moved the kettle away from the fire. She removed the lid and both she and Ti'ana could see the contents of the stew boiling. From another pocket, she took out a wooden spoon and fished a little of the broth out. After taking a careful sip, she announced, "I believe it is time to eat."

Dinner was quickly served to the Thornwall household. Everyone enjoyed their fill of venison stew, save for baby Natalie, who was fed applesauce. During and after dinner, William told the family what had happened today, from the giant attack near Whiterun up to the retrieval of the Dragonstone.

When he revealed that Ti'ana could speak and read Dragon, Awen noted, "So she speaks the same language as the Graybeards. Don't you think you should take her to High Hrothgar?"

"I will," William nodded, "right after Riverwood gets its reinforcements. Hopefully, the Graybeards will know what to do with her."

"Does that mean you're leaving _again_?" Elaina frowned.

"I'm afraid so, honey, but I promise that I will spend lots of time with you when I come back."

Elaina lowered her head and mumbled, "Okay…"

William walked up to her and lifted her chin up. He said, "Come on, let me see a smile on your face."

When Elaina didn't smile, her father grinned mischievously and started to tickle her sides. In an instant, a wide smile spread across her face and she burst out laughing. Between laughs, she cried out, "Stop it, daddy!"

Everyone in the room, even Ti'ana and little Natalie, laughed at this. When everyone stopped laughing, Awen picked up her baby and said to her, "Bedtime, Natalie."

As she took the baby to another room, Elaina let out a loud yawn. William picked her up and said, "I think you should go to bed too."

"But I'm not tired!" Elaina lied.

"No 'but's, honey." Awen said as she reentered the room. She took Elaina from her husband's arms and set her down.

Elaina pouted again, but after she yawned again, she was forced to accept the fact that she was tired. She turned to Ti'ana, gave a small wave, and said, "Goodnight, Ti'ana."

Ti'ana waved back, but said nothing. Elaina went to her room as Awen started to set up the blankets on the floor for the returning guest. Once the makeshift bed was finished, Ti'ana plopped on top of it and fell asleep almost instantly, once again forgetting to remove her equipment. William went ahead and removed Ti'ana's sword and scabbard from her side before he joined Awen in bed.

* * *

><p>Like the previous morning, when William woke up, he found that Ti'ana was missing. He had a feeling where she might be, so he got dressed and walked outside. As he thought, he spotted her in the chicken yard, along with Elaina.<p>

Elaina ran up to her father and, tugging at his sleeve, said excitedly, "Daddy! Daddy! Come look what Ti'ana and Pricilla found!"

William approached Ti'ana, who kneeling next to the hen, and saw that she had something in her hand. Ti'ana lifted her head up and noticed her companion staring at the thing in her hand. She eagerly shoved her hand in front of William and he now had a better look of what she was holding.

In the center of her palm was a small, jagged red stone with a white stripe on it. He picked it up and felt over it with a single finger. Most of the rock's surface was rough, but the side with the white stripe on it was smooth. Aside from the white stripe, there was nothing too special about it. He set it back in Ti'ana's palm and said, "It's a pretty rock."

She showed it to the chicken, who eyed it with curiosity. She stared at the rock in her hand and murmured, _"Brit qethsegol."_

"It is pretty!" Elaina said as she peered at the stone. "Pricilla started scratching the ground and she started clucking. Ti'ana heard her and started to dig where Pricilla was scratching, and that was when they found the rock."

Awen poked her head out of the door and asked, "What's going on out there?"

"Ti'ana and Pricilla found a pretty stone!" Elaina called back. She grabbed Ti'ana's spare hand and led her to Awen. She tugged at the hand that held the stone and told Ti'ana, "Show her, Ti'ana! Show her!"

Understanding what Elaina wanted her to do, Ti'ana opened her hand and showed the stone to Awen. She said, "Wow, that is pretty. I don't see stones with stripes on them that often." She looked at everyone present and announced, "Come in; breakfast is ready."

After breakfast, William and Ti'ana were packed and ready to go again. This time, Ti'ana wore her new set of leather armor. She wasn't as keen on wearing it as with the fur armor, but she donned on the new armor nevertheless. Before leaving, she left the stone she found with Elaina, who was greatly pleased with it.

Nothing eventful happened on the way to Whiterun, which was the way William liked it. He expected nothing to happen until he returned the Dragonstone to Farengar. After that, the reinforcements would come to defend Riverwood, he would take Ti'ana to High Hrothgar, and he would go back to living a peaceful life with his family.

Of course, if there was one thing William knew from his adventuring days, it was that not everything goes as planned.

* * *

><p>As soon as William handed the Dragonstone over to Farengar, and just before he could give his thanks, Irileth suddenly ran into the room, nearly yelling, "Farengar! You need to come at once; a dragon's been spotted!"<p>

"A…dragon?" William turned pale. Memories of the attack at Helgen came back to haunt him.

"A dragon! How exciting!" Farengar immediately started asking questions. "Where was it seen? What was it doing?"

"I'd take this a bit more seriously if I were you." Irileth folded her arms. "If it decides to attack Whiterun, I don't know if we can stop it." She turned around and took a few steps out, with Farengar following behind. She stopped, turned back around, and told William and Ti'ana, "You two come too."

"Why?" William croaked.

"No time for questions." Irileth became impatient. "Just come with us."

William dreaded what was going to happen next, but he had no choice but to follow the Dark Elf. Ti'ana, oblivious to what was going on or the seriousness of the situation, followed the group to a set of stairs leading up. In the room above, they saw the Jarl talking with a soldier.

"Irileth tells me you came from the western watchtower?" The Jarl asked the soldier.

"Yes, my lord." The soldier answered.

"Tell him about the dragon." Irileth told the soldier.

William, who was still in shock of the news, asked, "You really…saw a dragon?"

"Yes…" Everyone could tell that the guard was shaken. "We saw it coming from the south. It was fast…faster than anything I have ever seen."

"Is it attacking the watchtower?" The Jarl asked.

"No, my lord. It was just circling overhead when I left. I never ran so fast in my life before…I thought it would come after me for sure!"

"Rest easy," the Jarl laid a hand on the guard's shoulder, "we'll take it from here. Go to the barracks and rest; you deserve it."

The guard gave a quick nod and ran back down the stairs, obviously grateful for the ordered rest. The Jarl looked to everyone else present and said to Irileth, "You'd better gather your best guardsmen and head down there."

"I've already ordered my men to standby near the main gate." Irileth said with confidence.

"Go now, and don't fail me."

Irileth ran back down the main floor. The Jarl now turned his attention to William and Ti'ana and told them, "I'm afraid we'll need your help for this."

"You want us to fight the dragon?" William asked.

When the Jarl nodded, William asked, "Why us? I am sure that we are not as skilled as Whiterun's guards."

"Both of you survived the attack at Helgen," the Jarl explained, "and that gives you more experience with dragons than anyone else."

"My Jarl, just because we survived the attack doesn't mean that we tried to fight it or know how it fights."

Truth to be told, William had been traumatized by the attack. He had never come so close to both a dragon and death before, and he did not want to see another dragon if he could help it, so he was trying to come up with excuses to get out of fighting a dragon.

"We need all the help we can get." The Jarl persisted. "The dragon could attack Whiterun at any moment, if not any other towns like Riverwood."

William was now cornered. He thought back to his family and dreaded to think of what would happen to them if a dragon came to Riverwood. He said, "That is reason enough for me to fight, my Jarl, but I don't want Ti'ana to fight it."

"Is she unable to fight?"

"Well…not necessarily."

"If all help is needed," Farengar interrupted, "then I should go too. I would very much like to see this dragon."

"I can't risk sending you out there," the Jarl shook his head, "I need you here in case the dragon decides to come this way."

Farengar was about to protest, but he lowered his head and said, "Yes, my lord."

William made his way back down and out of Dragonsreach, followed by Ti'ana. William thought it was suicide to be chasing dragons, but he only did it just so that it wouldn't come near his hometown. He really didn't want Ti'ana to come with him, but he doubt he could make her stay behind, even if they were speaking the same language. He prayed to the Nine that the Dragon wouldn't come.

Near the main gate of Whiterun, they saw Irileth talking to several soldiers, trying her best to boost their morale. When she was done talking with them, she turned her head and noticed the duo standing nearby. She said, "Good, you're both here. Let's move out!"

Irileth and her men charged out through the main gate, with the duo running just behind them. They sprinted across the plains near the city and towards the watchtower in the distance. They could see smoke and fire coming from the tower and burning grass and, upon closer inspection, saw the charred corpses of a few Whiterun guards. Everyone stopped before the tower and took in the sight.

"No sign of the dragon," Irileth said in a low voice, "but it sure looks like it has been here." She looked up at the sky and said, "It could still be skulking nearby. Everyone, spread out and look for survivors."

The soldiers and Ti'ana ran ahead of Irileth and William. Ti'ana ran up to one corpse and tried to loot it, but the armor it wore was still hot from the fire and she burned her fingertips. She sucked on her fingers for a minute, then ran up to the tower. William caught up with her and they could both see a soldier near its base, severely burned, but still alive.

"Get out of here!" The soldier cried out. "It's still here!"

From a distance, everyone could hear a faint roar. The hairs on the back of William's neck rose as he recognized that roar. Everyone lifted their heads and they could see something large flying towards them.

"Kynareth help us all," the soldier whispered in fear, "here it comes again."

When the thing came close enough, everyone could see that it was indeed a dragon. It was grayish-yellow in color, had jagged scales, and an intimidating glare on its face. It roared again and perched on top of the tower. All the soldiers present drew out their bows and did not hesitate in firing arrows at the dragon. Some of the arrows managed to lodge themselves in the dragon's wings, but the others bounced off of its scales. The dragon shouted something and breathed a short jet of fire at the soldiers below. Everyone in its range ran off in different directions and managed to avoid the attack.

_"Faas dii suleyk, nivahriin jul!" _The dragon roared. _"Ag us Mirmulnir!"_

"Together now!" Irileth called to her men. "We can defeat this overgrown lizard!"

As the soldiers nocked their arrows again, the dragon took to the sky again and lunged at them, breathing a jet of fire on the way down. Most of the soldiers were able to roll off to the side, but one unfortunate Nord got caught in the middle of the fire blast and was cooked in his armor. William wondered just how they were going to kill this thing.

"Here," the wounded soldier removed his bow and quiver, "you will need these."

William looked down at the bow and quiver. He was somewhat experienced in using a bow, but he never fired arrows at flying targets before. He looked at the dragon, then at the bow and quiver, and he took them. With the dragon flying around right now, firing arrows was the best he could do for now, but what about Ti'ana?

William now noticed that Ti'ana was missing. He glanced all around, but he could not find her. Did she run away? At this moment, he had no time to look for her. He nocked an arrow and fired it at the dragon, only for it to miss and sail straight into the sky.

"Damn it," William swore to himself, "if I knew this was going to happen, I would have practiced with a bow more often."

The dragon finally landed on the ground and everyone present charged at it with their swords. William figured it would be safer to stay where he was and continue to fire arrows at the dragon, now that it was nearly stationary on the ground. The dragon breathed another jet of fire, which took down another soldier, while it knocked several to the ground with its head and tail. It flapped its wings and it took to the air again. After circling and lunging at the soldiers a few times, it landed again.

_"Thurii du hin sille ko Sovngarde!" _The dragon roared at the soldiers.

Just as it was about to breath another jet of fire, a familiar voice shouted, _"Krif het, Mirmulnir!"_

The dragon lifted its head up and looked up at the top of the watchtower, as did everyone else. Standing near the edge of the tower was Ti'ana, with her sword drawn out. Fearing of what she might do, William ran into the tower, crying out, "Ti'ana!"

_"Vahdin!" _The dragon called out. It took to the air and approached the tower. Ti'ana backed away as it perched on the tower. It towered over her and glared down at her. It demanded, _"Tinvaak Dovah? _Who are you, woman? _Nid gein nuz Sadonvum uv Dovahkiin tinvaak Faal Dovahtinvaak."_

_ "Geh, dii pall." _Ti'ana seemed unafraid in the dragon's presence.

"Ti'ana!"

William reached the top of the tower and grabbed Ti'ana's wrist, demanding, "What are you doing?" He noticed the looming shadow above them both and he looked up. His grip on Ti'ana slackened and his jaw dropped when he saw the dragon up close. He croaked, "By the gods…"

The dragon raised its head up. William snapped to his senses, grabbed Ti'ana by the wrist again, and pulled her down the stairs. They could both hear the dragon shout, _"__**Yol**__!" _and they heard it breath fire on top of the tower. When the flames died down, Ti'ana yanked her hand out of William's grasp and ran back up to the top of the tower. William couldn't believe what she was doing and he ran after her.

When Ti'ana reached the top of the tower, the dragon was no longer there. It had gone back to circling the soldiers, who were still firing arrows at it. She stood near the edge and kept her eyes on the dragon. When it started to glide close to the tower, she jumped and latched onto the top of one of its wings. The dragon flapped its wings furiously in an attempt to shake her off, but somehow or another, she managed to hang on. She plunged her sword into the fold of its wing and it cried out in pain. It finally landed on the ground and she slid off, but not before making a tear in its wing with her sword on the way down.

Once more, the soldiers closed in on their enemy. Some swung their swords at it, but they only left scratches on the dragon's scales. Some plunged their swords into its side, and surprisingly, that tactic actually worked, as the swords pierced through the dragon's scales and flesh. While the dragon swung its head at the soldiers and breathed fire at them, Ti'ana used this chance to climb on its back, using the lodged swords as a foothold.

Feeling its opponent on its back, the dragon flapped its wings furiously and hovered over the ground. Blood flew out of the tear on its one wing and the dragon temporarily lost its balance from the pain. During this frenzy of movement, Ti'ana slowly crawled up its back until she reached its long neck. The dragon whipped its head all over the place in an attempt to shake off its enemy. Ti'ana wrapped her arms and legs around its neck and hung on for dear life.

Back on the ground, William, Irileth, and the soldiers could not believe what this woman was trying to do. Most just stood and stared while others had their bows out and were firing arrows at the dragon's wings. William, who was among those who were just staring, muttered in awe, "Ti'ana. Wait," he shook his head, "why am I letting her put herself in danger like this?"

He unsheathed his enchanted blade and he ran at the dragon. As he drew closer, he could see that Ti'ana had plunged her sword into the side of the dragon's throat, but she was also about to fall off. The dragon faced William and tried to shout, but it only came out as a painful cough. William stopped short and he now realized that he was just a few feet away from the dragon.

"Oh Gods," William croaked, "what am I doing?"

The dragon stopped moving and, despite the pain it was in, it almost seemed to grin at the fearful look on William's face. Ti'ana saw that William was within the dragon's reach and she cried out, _"William!"_

Before the warrior could react, the dragon lunged its head forward and snapped its jaws around his torso. Ti'ana screamed angrily and, gripping her sword, slid off the dragon's neck, severing its jugular vein on the way down. The dragon dropped its head and coughed William out, along with some of its own blood. Ti'ana walked up to its head and raised her sword.

The dragon's eyes widened as it gargled in its own blood, _"Dovahkiin… _no!"

Without mercy, Ti'ana plunged her sword through the dragon's right eye and into its brain, killing it instantly. Leaving the sword behind, she ran to the fallen William, along with some soldiers. They flipped him on his back and they were stunned to find that he was still alive. The dragon's teeth had pierced through his scale armor, but they didn't seem to pierce the skin, as there was no blood. William's face was pale and his eyes were wide, but he was still breathing, if but shallowly.

"I can't believe he survived that." The soldiers started to talk amongst themselves.

"If he weren't wearing that armor, he would have been dragon food."

_"William!"_ Ti'ana dropped to her knees and shook her companion.

He blinked and his breathing returned to normal. He sat up and looked at Ti'ana, then at the dead dragon. To his surprise, the corpse suddenly started to smoke, then, without warning, it burst into flames. Everyone else noticed this and everyone but Ti'ana ran away from the corpse, with two soldiers helping William to his feet. Within seconds, there was only the dragon's skeleton was left behind, with a few charred scales clinging onto the bones.

Hovering over the skeleton was a large wisp of red and yellow light. It flew towards Ti'ana and swirled around her. The light seemed to dissolve into her skin and it was gone within seconds. Ti'ana did not seem surprised in the least at what happened. She lowered her head, put one hand over her throat, and she breathed in deeply.

Unlike Ti'ana, everyone but Irileth was surprised at what they had just seen. With William and the soldiers being Nords born and raised in Skyrim, they knew of an old legend concerning dragons and the warrior who could devour their souls. The warrior who was born with the soul and blood of a dragon, and who could absorb their souls, was known as the Dragonborn, or _Dovahkiin_ in the Dragon tongue.

Now that William thought back, the black dragon that attacked Helgen called Ti'ana "_Dovahkiin_", as did the dragon she had just slain. From behind his back, he could hear the soldiers talking about the possibility of this woman being the Dragonborn. He slowly approached her and asked, "Ti'ana?"

He could hear her mutter, _"'Fus, Fus, Fus…'."_

He remembered that those were the same words she was chanting back at Bleak Falls Barrow. She lifted her head up, faced the skeleton of the dragon, and suddenly shouted, _"__**Fus**__!"_

Her shout seemed to rattle the bones of everyone present. The dragon's skeleton was pushed a few feet back by the mere force of her voice. The soldiers, having just seen her shout like the dragon they fought, talked excitedly. Irileth had to calm them down and she tried to dismiss their thoughts of this woman being the Dragonborn, but they would not listen to her. She sent her soldiers back to Whiterun and she approached William and Ti'ana. She spoke to William first, saying, "It was miraculous that you survived that dragon's bite. How are you faring?"

"Shaken." Was all William had to say to Irileth.

She looked at Ti'ana and told her, "You were either very brave or very stupid to attack the dragon head on like that, but either way, you single-handedly killed it. I don't believe that you are this 'Dragonborn' that my men keep talking about, but I do know that the Jarl will be happy to hear that the dragon is dead."

William spoke up, "She…she just absorbed that dragon's soul. How is that not proof that she's…?" He wanted to say that Ti'ana was the Dragonborn, but he could not really believe it himself. He did believe in the old legends, but the very idea that he had been traveling with the Dragonborn the whole time didn't completely register in his mind. He knew that she spoke Dragon, yet it never crossed his mind that she could be the Dragonborn. He now cursed his stupidity for not realizing sooner.

He turned to look at Irileth, but she was already on her way back to Whiterun. He lowered his head and thought back to the fight with the dragon. He never wanted Ti'ana to be in danger, yet she was the one who killed it. He wanted to protect her, yet he almost got eaten. While he was in the dragon's jaws, he saw his life flash before his eyes. He had seen his childhood, his old adventuring days, and his family back at home in those brief seconds of darkness. He knew that if Ti'ana was the Dragonborn, then it would most likely be her destiny to kill all the dragons that have just now been plaguing Skyrim. He thought back to his near death experience, then to his family, and he knew now that his adventuring days were over.

_"William?"_

William looked at Ti'ana and saw the look of concern on her face. He said with a small smile, "I'm fine." He then frowned and asked, "So, you're the Dragonborn? You're…_Dovahkiin_?"

_"Dovahkiin."_ Ti'ana rested a hand on her chest.

"Ti'ana…" William sighed. He knew that he could no longer accompany her, not when he had a family back at home to worry about. Still, how could he tell this to her when she can't understand him?

_"DOVAHKIIN!"_

The sudden shout came from nowhere, and it almost seemed to shake the very earth. Both William and Ti'ana nearly lost their balance from that shout. William looked all over the place, but found no one else but him and his companion present. Ti'ana turned her head towards the tallest mountains and stared off into the distance with a solemn look on her face.

_"Faal Sadonvum…nust hind wah koraav dii."_

* * *

><p><strong>Are William and Ti'ana actually going to part ways? Next time, that question will be answered, along with a trip to the mountains where the Graybeards live.<strong>

**Yes, so now all of a sudden, Ti'ana is now the world's best fighter. To those of you who are about to complain about her sudden incredible fighting ability, I'm just going to say that her full potential is slowly coming to light.**

**As you may have noticed, the fight with Mirmulnir seemed like it came right out of **_**Shadow of the Colossus**_**. Yes, that game influenced this fight. I figured there should be more strategy than just simply hacking and slashing (like I do in the game). Also, I had to tone down the defense these dragons have. If they were as strong as Smog (minus the missing scale) from **_**The Hobbit**_**, then no one would be able to even scratch these dragons, therefore bringing this story to a screeching halt.**

**Now for the translations for this chapter:**

_Dovah Grah_ = "Dragon battle"

"_Grik brii."_ = "Such beauty."

"_Brit qethsegol." _= "Beautiful bone of the earth [stone]."

"_Faas dii suleyk, nivahriin jul!" _= "Fear my power, cowardly humans/men!"

"_Ag us Mirmulnir!" _= "Burn before Mirmulnir!"

"_Thurii du hin sille ko Sovngarde!" _= "Overlords devour your soul(s) in Sovngarde!"

"_Krif het, Mirmulnir!" _= "Fight here, Mirmulnir!"

"_Vahdiin!" _= "Maiden!"

"_Tinvaak Dovah?" _= "[You] speak Dragon?"

"_Nid gein nuz Sadonvum uv Dovahkiin tinvaak Faal Dovahtinvaak!" _= "No one but [the] Graybeards or [the] Dragonborn speak the Dragonspeak!"

"_Geh, dii paal." _= "Yes, my enemy."

"_Faal Sadonvum… nust hind wah koraav dii." _= "The Graybeards…they wish to see me."


	5. Chapter 5:  Wundun wah Strunmah

**Disclaimer: **_**Skyrim**_** still belongs to Bethesda.**

**In case anyone is wondering where I got the name "Ti'ana" from, I'll go ahead and say that I did **_**not**_** get it from **_**The Princess and the Frog**_**; I got it from the **_**Myst**_** series. In that series, the name "Ti'ana" is D'ni for "storyteller", and it is the D'ni name of Atrus's grandmother, Anna. Looking up the syllables of the name, I found out that it means something else in Dragon, which I will reveal later on.**

**Correction notice: I spelled "Graybeards" incorrectly. It should be "Greybeards", with an "e". "**_**Sadon**_**" means "gray", so I just used the wrong dragon word too. Ah well, I'll just keep the word "**_**Sadonvumn**_**", just because it's the closest I can get to "Greybeard".**

**Another correction notice: Apparently, the Jarl's name is spelled "Balgruuf", not "Balgruff".**

**Also: It seems like Mirmulnir's scales are bronze, not yellow.**

**So, here we are: chapter 5. For sure, the end is very far away. If any of you readers manage to stick with this story to the very end, then I would be very grateful.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: <em>Wundun wah Strunmah<em>

Ti'ana approached the dragon's skeleton and removed her sword from its eye socket. As she wiped the blood off of it on the grass, William also walked up to the skeleton. He ran his fingers over the bones and found that they were slightly warm. His fingers brushed against some charred scales that still clung onto one of the backbones of the skeleton. He pinched one scale and pulled hard. He had only meant to take one scale, but the rest of the scales followed in one clump.

He wiped some of the ash off with his thumb and he saw that the scales had a dull bronze shine to them. He found that the scales were similar to a snake's, but larger and tougher. He figured the scales would be a nice little souvenir to show to his family. He pocketed the scales and he turned to look at the mountain that Ti'ana was staring at a minute ago.

William knew that the tallest mountain in Tamriel was called the Throat of the World. Near its tip was High Hrothgar, home of the Greybeards. He did tell his wife that he would return once he brought Ti'ana to High Hrothgar, but what if they happened to come across another dragon on the way there? He shook his head. He couldn't just break his word.

"Ti'ana." William called out to her.

She turned to look at him. He pointed to the Throat of the World and said, "I'm taking you there. After that…" Again, he couldn't bring himself to tell her that they had to part ways, even though he knew she wouldn't understand.

Ti'ana also pointed at the mountain and said, _"Dii hofkiin, Monahven."_

"I'm guessing you know that place." William noted. "We'll head on over, but I want to make sure the Jarl sends those reinforcements first."

He and Ti'ana walked back to Whiterun. When they entered Dragonsreach, they saw that the Jarl, Irileth, a man, and a woman were waiting for them. Jarl Balgruuf sat up in his throne and said, "You both have done a great service for Whiterun."

"Please, my Jarl," William said, "it was Ti'ana who did most of the work."

"Yet you had the courage to help Irileth and the others fight the dragon. For you," the Jarl picked up a hand axe that was leaning against his throne and offered it to William, "I will keep my word and send reinforcements to Riverwood. I will also give you one of my heirlooms: the Axe of Whiterun."

"My Jarl, that isn't necessary-."

"I insist."

William knew better than to argue with a Jarl, so he accepted the axe and said, "You are too kind, Jarl Balgruuf."

The Jarl looked at Ti'ana and said, "Since you were the one who killed the dragon, I will allow you to buy property in Whiterun, and I will give you the title of Thane."

"Thane?" William was shocked. He protested, "My Jarl, she does not know our language, let alone the importance of being a Thane!"

"Ah, yes," the Jarl said, "Farengar has told me that she can speak the dragon tongue, but is it true she cannot speak our language?"

"It is true," William lowered his head, "and she doesn't even know our customs."

The Jarl lowered his head and put a hand on his forehead, lost in thought. He said, "As I've said before, you have the look of a man who does not lie. I will let your friend keep the title of Thane, but I will let you have command of her Housecarl." He motioned to the woman and she stepped forward.

She was a Nord with dark brown hair and a small braid near her face. She wore heavy plate armor, but no helmet. She had a sword at her side and a bow and quiver strapped to her back. The Jarl introduced her, "This is Lydia, your Housecarl. She will be at your service until her dismissal or death."

"I am your sword and your shield." Lydia gave a small bow before William and Ti'ana.

William could not say "no" to a companion in battle, so he said, "Glad to have you with us." He turned to the Jarl and said, "If you will please excuse us, we have to go hike a mountain."

"Going to High Hrothgar, I assume?" The Jarl asked.

"How did you know?"

"Everyone in Skyrim, if not Tamriel, heard the Greybeards' summons to your friend. It is a great honor to meet the Greybeards."

"A summons from the Greybeards…" William had a hard time comprehending the thought. "This has not happened in centuries, not since Tiber Septim himself when he was Talos of Atmora!"

"Excuse me," the man next to Jarl Balgruuf interrupted, "but looking at this woman, I see no real evidence of her being this 'Dragonborn'."

"You weren't there when Ti'ana killed the dragon. I saw her absorb the dragon's soul."

"Please, I don't want to hear any of your Nord nonsense."

"Nonsense?" William fumed. "How dare you insult my beliefs!"

"Enough!" The Jarl snapped.

"Forgive me," the man lowered his head to both the Jarl and William, "but I just don't see why the Greybeards want to see this woman."

"It is the Greybeards' business, Avenicci, not ours. Who are we to argue if they think Ti'ana is the Dragonborn?" The Jarl turned back to face group and told them, "You'd better go up to High Hrothgar immediately. There is no refusing a summons from the Greybeards."

William gave a solemn nod and turned to the new companion, Lydia. He told her, "I think you should introduce yourself to Ti'ana, let her know you're a friend."

"Of course." Lydia faced Ti'ana and told her, "I am your Housecarl, Lydia."

William rested a hand on Lydia's shoulder and said to Ti'ana, "Lih-dee-uh."

_"Lih-dee-uh?" _Ti'ana asked. She smiled and said, _"Lydia."_

"Yes," Lydia did not really know why she was being introduced in this fashion, but instead of questioning, she nodded and said, "Lydia."

With the introductions out of the way, the group left Dragonsreach. When they were at the town marketplace, they stopped and decided that since it was a long way to High Hrothgar, it would be best if they stocked up on food and healing potions. William looked over his armor and saw that it also needed repairing.

"I will get the food and potions for you," Lydia offered, "if you want."

"That would be great." William nodded. "Ti'ana and I will go to the blacksmith's and get my armor repaired. We'll meet up at the front gate."

So Lydia began browsing among the stalls while William and Ti'ana headed to the blacksmith's. Outside of the store, they found a woman hammering a sword over an anvil. The woman lifted her head up, faced the duo, and asked, "What can I do for you today?"

William removed his breastplate and held it before the woman. She took it out of his hands and saw the holes where the dragon had bitten through it. She noted, "These are large teeth marks. How did this happen?"

"Dragon." William simply said.

"The Gods were on your side when that thing bit you. I can repair this for you, but are you sure you don't just want to buy a new breastplate?"

William thought this would be a better idea. Though repairing would be cheaper, it would also take a long time. He said, "I'll buy a new breastplate."

"Go inside then." The woman said as she continued looking at the bite marks on the armor. "If you want to sell this, then I'll pay fifty Septims. I would pay more, but seeing it in this bad condition…"

"That's fine." William did not want to waste time haggling.

The woman set the armor on the ground and she fished out the gold pieces from her pocket. She counted them and handed them over to William. He pocketed them and walked into the store to buy new armor.

The man behind the counter took one look at the shirtless William and said, "You want a new breastplate, right?"

William gave a small laugh and said jokingly, "That would be nice."

The man pulled out a scale breastplate from underneath the counter and set it on top of it. He said, "Five hundred Septims*."

William fished out the money, counted them up, and placed them on the counter. The man gave an approving nod and handed the armor to William, who immediately slipped it on. He turned around and saw Ti'ana looking at the weapons that were on display. He quickly took her hand and led her out of the store before she could try to take anything.

They went to the gate and found Lydia waiting for them with a full rucksack on her back. She asked, "Are we ready to go?"

"We are." William said.

If he remembered correctly, they would have to stop at Ivarstead before they would attempt the climb to High Hrothgar. To get there, they would have to walk around the mountain first. He decided that they would head northeast, then go south to reach Ivarstead. They would be going off the path, but it would be shorter than taking the road south around the mountain*. He discussed his plan with Lydia, who agreed with him. With that plan in their minds, they started their journey.

* * *

><p>After hours of crossing open plains and shallow streams, the group reached the edge of a forest. There, they saw that the sun was starting to set, so they decided that now would be a good time to set up camp. While Lydia and Ti'ana rolled out the sleeping mats, William set up a campfire and cooking spit. Afterwards, he sent Lydia to hunt for some game while he searched around for firewood.<p>

Lydia shortly returned with two rabbits in her hand. Ti'ana lowered her head with a gloomy look on her face and she turned away as Lydia got to skinning the rabbits. William had them skewered and he got right to roasting them.

As William rotated the spit over the fire, Ti'ana now turned her attention to the fire and watched the flickering flames with a trancelike look in her eyes. He looked at her and wondered just what was going through her head. He lowered his eyes and gave a mental sigh. He was going to miss her.

The rabbits were done roasting and William fished out three wooden plates from his rucksack and divided the meat amongst the group. Without any spices added to them, the meat was only flavored by the smoke of the campfire. Ti'ana hesitated at first when she was handed two rabbit legs, but she still ate them.

After their meal, Lydia and William made idle talk. William briefly explained what he and Ti'ana had been through for the past few days to Lydia. He also explained what little he knew about his Dragonborn companion. Lydia looked at Ti'ana, who was trying to catch fireflies nearby, and said to William, "You are right: she _is_ a mystery. She's an expert fighter, yet she behaves like a child."

William nodded, then asked, "What about you, Lydia? Can you tell me a little more about yourself?"

"There's not much to say." Lydia turned to face him. "I grew up in Whiterun my whole life and I became a guard so that I could protect it. Apparently, my skills were so good, the Jarl gave me the title of Housecarl so that I would serve the Thane of Whiterun."

"Is Ti'ana the first Thane you served?"

"No. I once served another Thane, but he… died of illness." Lydia's face darkened.

"I'm sorry to hear that." William lowered his eyes.

_"William!"_ Ti'ana cried out.

William stood up and saw his companion run up to him with something cupped in her hands. Before he could ask what was wrong, she opened her hands and a firefly flew out of them and landed on his left cheek, right under his scar. He brushed the bug off and it flew off to join the other fireflies. Ti'ana gave a small laugh and she ran off after the fireflies again.

"Don't go too far!" William called after her.

However, Ti'ana did not run off that far and she stayed within sight. William couldn't help but think back to the times he caught fireflies with Elaina back home. He thought back to the monsters Ti'ana killed along their journey and he couldn't help but say, "I can easily see this recorded in history: Ti'ana, slayer of dragons and catcher of fireflies."

He and Lydia had to stifle their laughter at this. Trying to change the subject, Lydia eyed the scar across William's left eye and she asked, "Is that a battle scar?"

William sat back down and brushed two fingers over his scar. He said, "I got that from a thief who tried to rob me in Riften. I caught him trying to pick my pocket and I was about to chase him off when he suddenly jumped on me and stabbed my eye with his dagger. I would have been killed right there if the guards hadn't pulled him off of me. Though the dagger didn't pierce my brain, the healers could not save my eye. The eye you're seeing right now is a glass eye that I purchased from the local Mages' Guild."

"I've never been to Riften myself," Lydia said, "and from what I heard about that place, I don't think I ever want to go there."

"After what happened to me, I'm not going back either."

The forest became darker and the group decided that they should turn in. However, William had heard all sorts of horror stories about bandits who would sneak up on sleeping travelers and slit their throats, and of vampires that would feast on their sleeping victims' blood, so he volunteered to keep watch. Lydia thought this was a good idea, but she suggested that she stay up instead of William. He disagreed, saying that she needed sleep too. They soon decided that they would take two hour shifts, with Lydia taking the first shift. With that decided, William crawled in his sleeping bag and closed his eyes.

Ti'ana was also tired, but she did not want to take her eyes off of the fireflies. At one point, she caught a Luna Moth and, seeing that William was asleep, she showed it to Lydia, who only said, "I think you should let it go."

The moth flapped its wings furiously in an attempt to break out of Ti'ana's hold, and she released it. She yawned and she chose an empty sleeping bag to sleep in. She chose the one closest to William and, after crawling into it, fell asleep.

* * *

><p>When William saw the sunrise, he yawned and rubbed his eyes. He turned to look at the sleeping bags and he saw Lydia twitch in her sleep. However, he noticed that Ti'ana was missing again. He wondered just when and how Ti'ana left without him noticing. He groaned, "Not again…" and he went to wake Lydia up.<p>

Just as he told Lydia that Ti'ana was missing, they heard her call frantically, _"William!"_

Expecting to see a bandit or an animal chasing her, William and Lydia stood up and drew out their weapons. When Ti'ana ran up to them, they saw that it was not bandits or animals chasing her, but a swarm of bees. She cried out, _"Nust nin! Nust nin!"_

"Ti'ana!" William called back to her. "What did you _do_?"

Up close, he now saw that her hands were sticky with honey and that she was holding a large honeycomb. Seeing that the swarm of bees was coming closer, he shouted, "Drop it!"

Of course, Ti'ana didn't know what he was trying to say to her. Instead of dropping the honeycomb, she hid behind William. Thinking fast, he dropped his shield and fired a stream of fire at the incoming swarm. Dozens of bees dropped to the ground, all of them burnt to a crisp. When he was sure all of the bees were dead, William stopped his fire spell and lowered his hand.

"Quick thinking, William." Lydia noted.

He nodded at this and turned to face Ti'ana. He saw that her face and arms were covered in bee stings. Tears welled up in her eyes from the pain, yet she still offered the honeycomb forward. William sheathed his sword, and took the honeycomb with one hand. He sighed, "What am I going to do with you?"

Ti'ana grabbed William's spare hand and placed it against her face. He knew that she wanted him to heal her, but he knew that he would have to pull the stingers out first. He looked at his hands, which were now sticky with honey, and knew that his fingers were too big to pluck out the stingers. He turned to Lydia and, seeing that she had smaller, more slender fingers, asked, "Can you give me a hand here?"

William set the honeycomb on a stone slab near their camp and he wiped the honey off his hands on it. He said to Lydia, "I want you to pull out the stingers while I try to relieve Ti'ana's pain."

Lydia nodded and she gently took one of Ti'ana's arms. As she started plucking the stingers, Ti'ana winced in pain and tried to pull her arm away. However, William held her by the shoulders and told her, "We're trying to help you."

As Lydia plucked the stingers down Ti'ana's arm, William followed after the trail of stings with his healing spell. Ti'ana realized that her companions were actually helping her, so she cooperated by standing still. Around ten to fifteen minutes later, all of the stingers were removed and Ti'ana's pain was dulled. However, even though William could ease her pain, his spell could not remove the bee venom from her body. He turned to Lydia and asked her, "Did you happen to buy any antidotes in Whiterun?"

Lydia walked up to her rucksack and started searching. She pulled out a vial with red liquid in it labeled "Cure Poison", and said, "I came prepared."

She uncorked the vial and handed it to William, who in turn, handed it to Ti'ana. She sniffed the contents of the vial and wrinkled her nose. When she found that it smelled like fresh pine needles, she took a sip. She gagged and shoved the antidote into William's hand. He sighed and handed the vial back to Lydia, who corked it and packed it up. He knew that those antidotes tasted like rotting leaves, or something close to it, anyways, and he couldn't really force Ti'ana to take something so foul-tasting without her knowing what it was. He just hoped that the sip that she took was enough to treat the bee venom.

Lydia went off to hunt for breakfast while William added more wood to the campfire. Minutes later, Lydia came back with a pheasant, along with a nest full of eggs and a pocketful of juniper berries. William got to cooking the bird and eggs and he decided to mix the berries with the honey Ti'ana stole from the bees. The group had a good breakfast and they were soon packed and back on the journey south.

* * *

><p>One hour after they left, however, they soon saw three giants up ahead, along with two mammoths. William had Lydia and Ti'ana hide behind some rocks and they watched the giants go about their daily activities at their camp. One was watching the giant bonfire and throwing broken tree trunks on it to keep it lit, one was milking the mammoths, and the other was keeping watch for any intruders. The watch giant had actually spotted the group as they ran behind the rocks, but it did nothing but keep its eyes on the rocks they were hiding behind.<p>

William knew that the giants would not attack them as long as they kept their distance. Nevertheless, he was nervous, as was Lydia. Ti'ana tugged at his arm, and he could tell by her expression that she did not want to be here. He whispered to the women, "Move away at a normal pace, but be cautious. We don't want them to think we're up to something."

He led the group out of the open and they gradually moved away from the giants' camp. The watch giant kept its eyes on them until they were far away enough that they didn't pose a threat. The group now had to spend extra time walking around the camp.

The next few hours of the day were mostly uneventful. Over that period of time, Ti'ana's arms and legs began to turn red and swell a little from the bee venom*. William tried to give her the antidote again, but she refused to drink it. He gave up on that and decided just to let the venom flush itself out. Later, a few hours past noon, they finally saw a small farming village up ahead. Upon reading a nearby sign, they saw that they had finally arrived at Ivarstead.

Ti'ana turned her head and saw a bridge that lead to a mountain path. She looked up at the mountain, then back to the bridge, and she crossed over it. William and Lydia followed her lead, with Lydia pointing out, "It seems like she knows where she's going. Has she been here before?"

"Only the gods know." William shook his head.

As they scaled up the mountain path, they stopped for nothing. There were stones with writing that William wanted to read, but Ti'ana would not wait for him. He had never made the pilgrimage to High Hrothgar, so he had no idea what was written on the stones. He figured that he would get a chance to read them on the way back down.

Aside from the occasional wolf and pilgrim, there seemed to be no other living soul on the mountain path. Minutes passed, and William and Lydia wanted to take a break from walking, but still, Ti'ana would not stop for them. William thought the shout from the mountain got her riled up to reach her destination. As they got higher up the mountain, snow started to fall. Only when the snow started to pile up on the ground did Ti'ana finally stop.

Seemingly without reason, she suddenly tackled a pile of snow and started rolling around in it. William and Lydia finally stopped on the stone stairs and sat down with wobbly legs. William figured that Ti'ana stopped to play in the snow, given her childlike behavior, but Lydia thought differently.

"She's trying to ease the swelling with the cold snow." Lydia noted.

"Are you sure?" William asked. "She could just be playing."

"I was stung by bees plenty of times when I was little, so I know what helps treat them and ease the swelling."

"You might be right." After a moment of silence, he asked Lydia, "So, have you ever climbed to High Hrothgar?"

"No," she shook her head, "but I've heard the Jarl talk about his pilgrimage up the mountain one time. I remember him saying that there are seven thousand steps up to High Hrothgar."

"Seven thousand?" William couldn't believe what he had just heard. "How many did we climb?"

"I haven't counted." Lydia looked out to the distance and said, "However high we are, though, the view is amazing."

William looked at the open sky and the land below him. He didn't realize just high up they were. From where they were sitting, he could barely see Ivarstead. He heard footsteps nearby and he turned to Ti'ana's direction. She had shaken off the snow from her clothes and was already back to hiking up the mountain. He and Lydia got to their feet and followed their companion.

Higher up, the wind started picking up. Everyone present shivered and their pace slowed down. In the midst of the snow flurries, they could see a cave up ahead. Just when they thought they could rest there, they spotted an angry ice troll running out of the cave to attack them.

"Just great." William said sarcastically through chattering teeth as he unsheathed his sword.

Ti'ana and Lydia also drew out their swords and waited for the troll to come to them. When it charged at them, the group moved off to the sides and dodged it completely. William saw that it was near the edge of the path and he ran at the troll shield first. The impact was so great that both troll and Nord lost their balance. Ti'ana ran forward and pulled William back before he could fall forward. The troll, though it was closer to the edge, regained its balance and turned to face the group.

Before it could charge again, however, Ti'ana glared at it and shouted, _"__**Fus**__!"_

The force behind her shout caused the troll to back several steps away, and it was enough for it to fall off the side of the mountain. However, with that same shout, piles of snow fell from the ledges above and landed on top of the group. Fortunately, the piles weren't that big, so the group managed to dig themselves out of the snow.

"You have a powerful voice, my Thane." Lydia said to Ti'ana.

"We're just lucky her shout didn't cause too big an avalanche." William brushed the snow off of his armor.

"Yes, but charging at a troll near the edge of a mountain was also reckless."

"It was," William admitted, "but I couldn't help it."

When she saw that her friends were safe, Ti'ana turned back to the mountain path and continued her trek. Tired and freezing, William and Lydia had no real choice but to follow their companion.

Just when the sun was close to setting, they saw a stone building up ahead. Everyone stopped before it and realized that they had just scaled the seven thousand steps of the tallest mountain in Tamriel and had arrived at High Hrothgar. Ti'ana only paused for a moment before she stepped through the doors of High Hrothgar. William was about to follow her when Lydia stopped him.

"The Jarl says that the Greybeards won't allow anyone to enter High Hrothgar." She said to him.

"No one except Ti'ana, apparently." William lowered his head. "Well, I said that I would take her to High Hrothgar, and I did. I hope the Greybeards know what to do with her."

He turned to leave when Lydia asked, "You're leaving her?"

He stopped and, without turning around, said, "I've been adventuring for years, and I stopped when I decided that I wanted a family. Having been close to death a few times in my life, I decided that it would be for the best if I gave up my adventuring days. If I kept it up, then I would eventually die, and I don't want my daughters to grow up without their father." He paused before saying, "Lydia, look after Ti'ana."

"It is my sworn duty, William."

"No," he turned around to face her, "I'm not telling you to do this as a Housecarl, but as a fellow companion."

Lydia gave a single, slow nod of understanding. William turned around and knew that he would have to get back to Ivarstead before nightfall, so he began his trek back down. Lydia watched him walk away until he was out of sight. When he was gone, she turned back to face High Hrothgar and spotted a nook where she could crawl in and try to stay warm. She got a fire going and she started to roast some carrots and potatoes for her dinner.

Hopefully, Ti'ana wouldn't take too long in High Hrothgar. Lydia did not want to camp out in the snow near the top of a mountain at night, if she could help it.

* * *

><p><strong>William has left the group (but that won't be the last we see of him)! Next time, Ti'ana meets up with the Greybeards and goes on a quest with Lydia.<strong>

***= Eggs and honey are considered to be alchemical ingredients, yet they aren't labeled as food. Why is that?**

***= I've never really looked at the prices of armor in **_**Skyrim**_**, so forgive me if my guestimate is way off. **

***= I actually have no idea how long it takes to go to High Hrothgar from Whiterun, but the path the group took is the same path I took in the game, minus the sidetracking to explore every cave and ruins I came across along the way. You can see why I don't have an estimate here.**

***= Bee venom usually doesn't last that long, but Ti'ana **_**was**_** attacked by a swarm, so it might take longer.**

**Basically, some of this chapter was pointless filler, as you may have already guessed, so I'm sorry if I may have bored you with it.**

**Note: If you have not already seen this on my profile, I will remind you that I will not be writing Fanfiction for about one to two months, due to an intensive work program. Please be patient, as I will get back to this story eventually.**

**Now for the translation notes:**

"_Wundun wah Strunmah" _= "Travel to [the] Mountain"

"_Dii hofkiin, Monahven." _= Sorry, but to translate this would be giving away spoilers. You can look it up for yourself, but please don't spoil it for the other readers.

"_Nust nin! Nust nin!" _= "They sting! They sting!"


	6. Chapter 6:  Thu'um

**After one to two months of not posting any chapters for this story, I can't believe I miss making silly versions of disclaimers. What's the disclaimer this time around? Well…uh…: I used to make silly disclaimers like some other Fanfiction authors, but then I took an arrow-no, I got nothing.**

**Anyways, it's good to be back!**

**Now, for this particular chapter, and a few others in the future, any clusters of continuous Dragonspeech will in English, in the form of italics. I am doing this so I won't have to write and translate paragraphs of Dragonspeech. Believe me when I say that this will be easier for all of us.**

**Oh, and for this chapter, I'm actually omitting the journey and dungeon exploration for the next quest (the one with the horn). I know: I'm getting lazy.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: <em>Thu'um<em>

The inside of High Hrothgar was freezing, yet at least it didn't have the chilly winds from outside. Ti'ana's footsteps echoed as she walked to the center of the room. In front of her, she saw a bearded old man in a gray robe approach her. He stopped in front of her and said, "So…a Dragonborn appears, at this moment in the turning of the age."

_"I have come." _Ti'ana said.

"Hm?" The old man scratched his beard. "So you speak the Dragon tongue? That is impressive, but for the sake of convenience, let us speak in the tongue of man."

_"I know not what you speak, Greybeard, I was only born days ago from Alduin's call."_

_ "Your words do not make sense, Dragonborn."_

_ "I cannot tell you what they mean. What is it you need of me?"_

_ "I want to see if you truly have the gift." _From nearby, three more elderly men in gray robes appeared and walked up to the first one. The first Greybeard said, _"Show us, Dragonborn. Let us taste of your Voice."_

Ti'ana blinked slowly, inhaled deeply, and shouted,_"__**Fus**__!"_

The four men took a few steps back from the force of Ti'ana's voice. Expressions of surprise showed on the men's faces and the first Greybeard said in awe, _"It is only one Word of a Shout, yet it has more power than those that we speak. Truly, you are welcome here in High Hrothgar. I am Master Arngeir. I speak for the Greybeards. Now, why have you come, Dragonborn?"_

_ "I came to answer your summons," _Ti'ana answered, _"and I must speak with your grandmaster."_

_ "You know of our grandmaster? I am sorry, but you may not see him until you are ready."_

_ "But I must see him!"_

_ "Patience and discipline must be learned first." _Arngeir motioned to one of the other Greybeards, who stepped forward. Arngeir said, _"As part of your initiation here, Master Einarth will now teach you 'Ro', the second Word in Unrelenting Force. Combine it with 'Fus' to focus your Shout more sharply."_

Einarth waved a hand over the ground and murmured, _"__**Ro**__…"_

Within seconds, glowing orange runes appeared on the floor. Ti'ana crouched next to the runes and stared at them intently. She could hear a faint voice from the runes chanting, _"Ro, Ro, Ro…"_ over and over again, and she found herself repeating the words.

_"Ro, Ro, Ro…" _With each time she repeated the word, it became clearer to her. After a few seconds, the runes disappeared and Ti'ana stood up.

_"Now Master Einarth will let you tap into his knowledge of the Word." _Arngeir said.

Einarth faced Ti'ana and lowered his head. An orange aura surrounded him and flew at Ti'ana and vanished the moment it brushed against her. When the aura vanished, she lowered her head in thought. She murmured to herself, _"Fus Ro, Fus Ro," _and then suddenly shouted at the nearest wall, _"__**Fus Ro**__!"_

Though they weren't the targets of her Voice, the Greybeards could feel the air around them vibrate slightly. The wall that Ti'ana yelled at suffered no damage, though some nearby bits of rock that were on the floor went flying.

_"You show great promise, Dragonborn." _Arngeir nodded his head with approval. _"For the next step, please follow Master Borri into the courtyard."_

The Greybeard called Borri walked towards the back of the main room, where there was a large door. Ti'ana followed him a few feet away, followed by the rest of the Greybeards. Borri pushed open the door with some effort and it gave a creak as it slowly swung outwards.

Right away, the cold winds of High Hrothgar blew snow flurries into everyone's faces. The Greybeards pulled their hoods over their eyes and Ti'ana covered her eyes with her arm. The group slowly walked outside into the back courtyard.

The courtyard was wide and was covered with snow. Up ahead, there were stone steps leading up to a small bonfire. Next to it, a stone lookout tower stood, with its stones weathered from the elements. Further up ahead, there was a pathway that led further up the mountain, but a strange blizzard had taken residence on the path and, no matter how long one would wait, it would not pass.

Borri walked a ways to the left, where Ti'ana could faintly see a cobblestone path in the snow leading to a metal gate. He stopped at the start of the path and shivered slightly in place. Arngeir said to Ti'ana, _"We will now see how you learn a completely new Shout. Master Borri will teach you 'Wuld'."_

Borri crouched slightly and, like Einarth, waved his hand over the stones, muttering, _"__**Wuld**__…"_

Like last time, orange runes formed over the stones. As Ti'ana read the runes, Arngeir instructed, _"You must hear the Word within yourself before you can project it into a Thu'um."_

_ "I hear it," _Ti'ana murmured, _"yet I have to relearn it all."_

_ "Relearn?"_

_ "Wuld, Wuld, Wuld…" _Ti'ana turned away from the runes and they vanished.

Borri lowered his head and an orange aura surrounded him. Like last time, it flew towards Ti'ana and vanished once it had reached her. As Borri now walked towards the metal gate, Arngeir said, _"Now we will see how quickly you learn a new Shout. Master Wulfgar will demonstrate Whirlwind Sprint, then it will be your turn."_

The fourth Greybeard walked past her and stood several yards away from the gate. Borri, meanwhile, was standing next to the gate with a lever on the side of the gate. When Wulfgar was in position, Borri pulled the lever down and the gate opened up.

Wulfgar only had to take in one quick breath before he shouted, _"__**Wuld Nah Kest**__!"_

During the moment when he said "_Wuld_", his body seemed to propel itself forward halfway towards the gate. When he said "_Nah_", he was already at the gate. Finally, while he said "_Kest_", he was past the gate and he stopped just short of a cliff that hung over the mountain. One second later, Borri pulled the lever up and the gate closed itself. In Wulfgar's single second dash, snow had blown forward and off to the sides, leaving a snowless streak where he had ran. Even though she had seen him run as fast as an arrow can fly, Ti'ana was unfazed by what she saw.

Arngeir turned to Ti'ana and told her, _"Now it is your turn."_

Borri opened the gate and Wulfgar slowly walked out. Borri nodded his head and Arngeir told Ti'ana, _"Now."_

_ "__**Wuld**__!" _She shouted as she got a running start.

Even with that running start, that one word launched her forward further than when Wulfgar said it. The sensation of exhilaration from that dash only lasted for a fraction of a second as Ti'ana now found herself on the other side of the gate. Two seconds later, Borri pulled the lever and the gate closed itself. He opened the gate again and he walked up to his fellow Greybeards. As Ti'ana walked back, she could see the Greybeards whispering amongst themselves, though she could not hear what they were saying.

When she was close to the whispering group, Arngeir turned to face her and said, _"Your quick mastery of a Shout is…astonishing."_

_ "It comes naturally to me." _Ti'ana said. _"Is there anything else?"_

_ "Yes, you have one last trial to do. We would like you to retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, our founder, from his tomb in the ancient fane of Ustengrav. Remain true to the Way of the Voice, and you will return."_

_ "Windcaller's horn? If I do this, will you let me see your grandmaster?"_

_ "You will see him when you are ready, but I must ask: why do you wish to see him so badly?"_

_ "My reasons are my own."_

Ti'ana started to make her way back into the main building, but then she stopped and looked up into the sky. The sun had set some time ago, and the weather was only getting colder. She turned to face Arngeir and asked, _"May I rest here for the night?"_

_ "You know that you are welcome here, Dragonborn." _Arngeir and the other Greybeards each gave a low bow.

_"I have companions waiting in the cold for me. May they stay too?"_

_ "We do not let others stay under normal circumstances, but if they are your companions, then they may stay for this one night."_

_ "Thank you."_

Ti'ana ran back into the building, then out the front entrance. She looked around and saw Lydia huddled into a corner, roasting vegetables over a small campfire. However, William was nowhere to be found. Lydia saw Ti'ana and she slowly stood up. She asked, "Is your business here done, my Thane?"

_"William?" _Ti'ana asked.

Lydia lowered her head and shook it. Ti'ana ran out into the snow and called out, _"William? William!"_

Ti'ana now started to panic. Did something happen to William? Desperate and worry-stricken, she shouted, _"WILLIAM!"_

While Ti'ana shouted, Lydia swore that she felt the air vibrate. Up ahead, the snow that was piled up on the ledges of the mountain fell, but again, fortunately, it was not enough to cause a large avalanche. From the entrance of High Hrothgar, Arngeir poked his head out and asked, _"Is there something wrong, Dragonborn?"_

Ti'ana faced Arngeir and told him, _"My companion is gone!"_

Arngeir looked at Lydia and said, "You must be one of the Dragonborn's companions. She said that another companion is missing. Do you know anything about that?"

"You speak both English and Dragon?" Lydia asked. In truth, she was glad to finally find an interpreter for her Thane. She said, "There was one other, but he left so he could be with his family."

"Come inside and tell me everything."

He motioned forward and both women entered High Hrothgar. They walked to the right of the main room and they saw a small hallway. They made a right turn in the hallway and they entered a room with chairs and a large table in it. Arngeir motioned the women to sit, and they did. Once he took his seat, he asked Lydia, "So, can you tell me everything?"

Lydia explained why William left. After each sentence she spoke, Arngeir translated for Ti'ana. When the explanation was over, Ti'ana lowered her head and spoke.

_"He knew I wouldn't understand him if he tried to tell me. He is very understanding. To leave so he could be with his family… I am sad to see him leave without warning but…I forgive him."_

After Arngeir translated this back to Lydia, she told Ti'ana, "I will not leave your side unless you want me to, my Thane."

_"Thane? You call me that, but what is a 'Thane'?"_

From there, Lydia and Ti'ana talked back and forth about being a Thane (a concept that Ti'ana could not quite grasp), with Arngeir as their translator. After a few minutes, Lydia yawned and suggested that they turn in, to which Ti'ana agreed. However, there were only four beds, and they all belonged to the Greybeards. Arngeir offered his bed to Ti'ana, but she refused, so he had to bring out some blankets for her and Lydia. They set up little makeshift beds out of the blankets in the main room and both women turned in for the night.

However, tired as she was, Ti'ana could not sleep. She got out of her makeshift bed and started wandering around High Hrothgar, lost in her own thoughts. In one of the hallways, she spotted Arngeir meditating in front of some lit candles. She walked up to him and called out, _"Arngeir."_

He turned his head and, when he saw Ti'ana, he stood up. He asked, _"What is it, Dragonborn?"_

_ "I have a favor to ask of you, but you may not be able to do it."_

_ "Let us hear it."_

Ti'ana paused before saying, _"You speak both the human tongue and the dragon tongue. Please, can you teach me some words of the human language, even just a little? I fear I cannot survive without knowing what these humans speak of."_

Arngeir blinked with surprise and said, _"It took me years to learn the dragon tongue, and it may as well be the same for the human language. I cannot give you knowledge of these words like my fellow Greybeards can with Words of Power. I can tell you a few basic words, but that will take time, and you need to rest before you set off to find the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller."_

_ "I am willing to stay up a few hours, and I cannot sleep anyways."_

_ "If you so insist, Dragonborn."_

* * *

><p>Six days have passed since William decided to leave Ti'ana's side. He was back home at Riverwood on the second night, and things have mostly been uneventful since then. Nevertheless, he was happy about settling back down to his normal life.<p>

However, he could not shake the guilt of having left Ti'ana. He remembered hearing her shouting his name just like the Greybeards did once he had reached the bottom of the mountain. He wanted to go back to her, but then remembered his family and near death experience with the dragon, and he pressed on home. Yes, he was glad to be back, as was his family, but he could not get Ti'ana out of his mind.

One morning, as William was eating breakfast with his wife and baby daughter, Elaina came running into the house from outside and shouted, "Mom! Dad! Pricilla is missing!"

William got out of his chair and told his oldest daughter, "I'll go look for her."

He walked out of the house and took a quick look in the yard to make sure the chicken wasn't hiding, but she wasn't. He decided to look in the neighbor's yards to see if the hen was eating away at the crops, but she wasn't in anyone's yards. He began to suspect that a fox may have eaten the chicken when he heard a familiar clucking coming from the direction of the mill.

William ran towards the mill and, along the way, noticed that no one else was out and about yet. When he reached the mill, he saw a chicken with light brown plumage pecking away at the grass. He could tell it was Pricilla and not any other chicken because she also had white specks on her feathers. He slowly snuck up on the hen when she suddenly ran off.

William groaned and called out, "Pricilla! You crazy hen…"

He chased after her, but he could not catch up with her. The few times he did get close to her, she made a sudden turn and ran under his legs to go off in another direction. After two minutes, Pricilla ran outside of Riverwood and into a large hole on the side of a hill. William stopped in front of the hole and peered inside it.

He could not see the runaway chicken, but he did see some light up ahead. As far as he knew, there was never a hole on the side of this hill, let alone a hole large enough for a man to crawl through. He figured that there was something in that hole and that Pricilla was doomed to be eaten by it, but he did not to upset his daughter by giving up this easily, so he dropped to his hands and knees and crawled into the hole.

Before he could begin to call out to the hen, however, the ground underneath him suddenly gave way and he tumbled several yards below. He landed on the fallen earth with a thud and noticed that there was an echo. He stood up and saw that he was in a large, spacious cavern.

The ceiling of the cavern had a few holes in it, allowing light to enter. Standing at the far end of the cavern, with its back turned to William, was a humanoid figure wearing a gray robe and hood. William glanced around and saw that there was no visible exit to this cavern, so he wondered if this figure had also fallen through a hole and landed here. If that was the case, then how were they going to get out of here? He took a few steps towards the robed figure.

_"Krilot Bron Kendov." _The figure spoke.

William stopped where he was. Was this person a Greybeard? He asked, "Who are you?"

"With Alduin's return, your world has fallen into dark times. In this hour, only the Dragonborn can save your world."

"I know that, but why are you telling me this?"

The figure kept his back to William, but he went on, "In these crises, I have watched over all Dragonborn, as I watch over the new one now. However, this one is not like the other Dragonborn. Though she appears to be a grown individual, she is but a hatchling in your world. By herself, she will fail to save this world."

William knew that this figure was talking about Ti'ana. He was about to explain that Lydia was with her when the figure continued, "She knows what she must do, but she needs guidance. After watching the two of you together, I find that it will be best if you stayed with her until she fulfills her destiny."

William wondered just who this person was. He lowered his head and said, "I gave up adventuring years ago. If I stay with Ti'ana, I will only get killed by a dragon, and I do not want to leave my family behind."

_"Mey!"_

The figure suddenly collapsed onto the ground. William ran up to him to see if he was all right, but strangely enough, there was no body on the ground, only the gray cloak. William now noticed that it was suddenly brighter in the cavern. He looked up and he saw an orange aura hovering over the cavern. He backed away as the aura expanded.

"_Hon Dii Rot, _if Alduin wins, then all that is precious to you will die."

The aura quickly shape-shifted into a large, fiery dragon. William had never seen anything like this dragon before, yet he knew of one legend that said that this dragon appeared to fight Mehrunes Dagon during the Oblivion Crises hundreds of years ago. Awestruck, he said under his breath, "By the gods…!"

"_Aak Ek, Bron,_" the dragon said in a commanding voice, "for the hatchling Dragonborn needs you more than you think she does."

* * *

><p>William opened his eyes and he found himself in bed. He thought back over the dream he had just had. Was it just a dream, or was it a message from the gods? He got out of bed and went to the kitchen, where he saw Awen cooking breakfast. He saw baby Natalie sitting in her highchair, but he didn't see Elaina anywhere. Most likely, she was out to get an egg from Pricilla.<p>

The front door swung open and Elaina ran in. William half expected her to say that Pricilla was missing, but instead, she said excitedly, "Ti'ana's back! Ti'ana's back!"

"What?" William could not believe what he was hearing.

"It's true!" Elaina insisted. "Follow me!"

She ran back outside, with her father following close behind. They went to the center of the small town and she pointed towards the north entrance to Riverwood. William's eyes widened as he saw both Ti'ana and Lydia walking towards his direction. When she saw William, Ti'ana ran up to him and exclaimed, _"William!"_

"Ti'ana?" William blinked a few times.

Lydia approached him and said, "It is nice to see you again, William."

William, however, did not hear her. He stared at Ti'ana and said, "Ti'ana, I'm sorry I had to leave you. I-."

"I…I-um s_oh_rey?"

William was stunned at what he heard. This was the first time Ti'ana spoke English, or at least tried to; most of her pronunciations were wrong and she overstressed some syllables.

"I for…for_geht_ yew."

"What?" William was confused at her words.

"'Forgive'." Lydia corrected Ti'ana.

"Ah!" Ti'ana gave Lydia a single nod. She looked at William and said, "I forgeh-for_give_ ye-you."

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, that was a quick reunion, I know. Next time, William, Ti'ana, and Lydia meet a new friend, go on another quest, and meet a familiar foe.<strong>

**Yes, Ti'ana is now learning English, or at least trying to. I don't think I can have her speak Dragon forever and somehow survive Skyrim without much communication skills.**

"English? The people of Skyrim don't speak English!" **I am aware of that, yet I can't call the language everyone speaks "human tongue" or something of the like every time the topic comes up.**

**As far as my Fanfiction work goes, I will be going back and forth between this story and another I'm working on: "I Just Want my Heart Back!". Again, patience will be nice.**

**Now, for the translations:**

"_Thu'um_" : "Shout", for those readers who haven't played the game for some reason or another.

"_Krilot Bron Kendov_" : "Valiant Nord warrior"

"_Mey_" : "Fool"

"_Hon Dii Rot_" : "Hear my word(s)"

"_Aak En, Bron_" : "Guide her, Nord"


End file.
